Almost as many voters in the Feb. 9 special election and other recent elections have been using ballot drop boxes as have been using mail.
In the Feb. 9 school election, about 47 percent of Snohomish County voters used a ballot drop box instead of the mail.
In the November general election, however, a majority of voters – 51 percent – used the drop boxes.
Also in 2015, drop boxes accounted for 48 percent of the votes in the February special election, 48 percent in the April special election and 43 percent in the August primary.
Voters seem to be using the drop boxes in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Bothell at about the same rate as the countywide rate.
Ballots left at the three drop boxes for the recent February election equal about 47 percent of the votes in the Edmonds School District, which had the only measure on ballots south of Mukilteo or west of Sultan. There were no measures in the city of Bothell or the Northshore School District.
Snohomish County Elections Manager Garth Fell said last week that, while county officials don’t track the method of return in each district, he believes that most of the 12,581 voters who used the Edmonds, Lynnwood or Bothell boxes were in the Edmonds School District.
The final February voter turnout in the Edmonds School District was 28.49 percent, compared to a countywide turnout of 28.49 percent.
The Edmonds School District’s four-year levy for technology improvements and upgrades to buildings and sports fields passed with 62.55 percent of the vote. It needed only a simple majority to pass.
The county canvassing board certified results Friday, Feb. 19.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
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