Summer vote pares ballot for November
Published 11:51 pm Saturday, August 18, 2007
EVERETT – Time is elapsing quickly on the inaugural summer primary in which voters will narrow the choices for Snohomish County sheriff, alter the future of a state lawmaker and decide the fate of property tax hikes in Mukilteo.
Tuesday is officially Election Day, though voters have been marking and mailing in ballots all month. Ballots must be turned in or postmarked by Tuesday to count.
To help make it easier to get them in, election workers will collect ballots Monday and Tuesday at 20 businesses and nine libraries. Touch-screen voting machines will also be set up at the libraries for use by any registered voter.
Ballots also will be collected and voting machines available at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office in Everett.
Auditor Carolyn Diepenbrock is predicting a 38 percent turnout of nearly 340,000 registered voters.
Those voters who participate will determine which two men duel for sheriff this November.
Sheriff’s Lt. Rob Beidler, sheriff’s Chief Tom Greene and state Rep. John Lovick are competing to succeed Sheriff Rick Bart, who must leave office after 12 years because of term limits.
The two candidates getting the most votes will advance.
Similarly, voters will propel two of three hopefuls for county clerk into the fall election.
Chief deputy clerk Ron Ledford, department manager Sonya Kraski and county Treasurer Bob Dantini are vying to take over for Pam Daniels, who must depart because of term limits.
In a closely watched race affecting the future of county leadership, two Democratic state lawmakers are facing off for a shot at the 2nd District seat on the County Council.
Sen. Jean Berkey of Everett and Rep. Brian Sullivan are looking to fill the position Democratic County Councilman Kirke Sievers will vacate because of term limits.
The winner will be a heavy favorite to defeat Republican William Cooper in November as this is a Democrat-leaning district. If Berkey or Sullivan wins the seat, the County Council will appoint their successor in the Legislature.
The remainder of the ballot is dominated by decisions of a very local nature.
Voters in Edmonds will trim the list of hopefuls for its mayor while those in Everett, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Sultan and Gold Bar will do the same in a slew of contested city council races.
Balloting will decide the fall finalists for seats on school boards in Edmonds, Everett and Marysville, the Stevens Hospital District Board of Directors in Edmonds and Snohomish County Fire District 17 commission in Granite Falls.
Mukilteo residents face two proposed property tax hikes.
Proposition 1 would generate about $1 million annually for building sidewalks, pedestrian overpasses and trails, buying land for sports fields and carrying out traffic safety projects.
Proposition 2 would generate about $14 million for beautifying the Rosehill Community Center grounds and extending Harbour Reach Drive from Mukilteo Speedway to Beverly Park Road.
If both pass, these taxes would cost owners of $350,000 homes about $240 per year for nine years. After Proposition 2 expires, the tab would be about $101 per year for owners of those homes.
Voters with any last-minute questions can call the auditor’s office at 425-388-3444.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfieldheraldnet.com.
Disabled access voting sites
Sno-Isle Libraries
Edmonds, 650 Main St.
Lynnwood, 19200 44th Ave. W.
Marysville, 6120 Grove St.
Mill Creek, 15429 Bothell-Everett Highway
Monroe, 1070 Village Way
Mountlake Terrace, 23300 58th Ave. W.
Mukilteo, 4675 Harbour Pointe Blvd.
Stanwood, 9701 271st St. NW
Snohomish, 311 Maple Ave.
Ballot drop-off sites
Arlington Food Pavilion, 146 E. Haller St.
Arlington Starbucks, 3617 172nd St. NE
Bothell QFC, 22833 Bothell-Everett Highway
Edmonds QFC, 22828 100th Ave. W.
Everett QFC, 4919 Evergreen Way
Everett QFC, 2615 Broadway
Gold Bar Family Grocer, 1111 Croft Ave.
Granite Falls Red Apple, 115 N. Granite Ave.
Lake Stevens Joe’s, 519 Highway 9
Lynnwood QFC, 17525 Highway 99
Lynnwood QFC, 7500 196th St. SW
Marysville Staples, 105 Fourth St.
Marysville Starbucks, 3701 88th St. NE
Mill Creek QFC, 926 164th St. SE
Monroe Galaxy Theaters, 1 Galaxy Way
Mountlake Terrace QFC, 22803 44th Ave. W.
Mukilteo QFC, 11700 Mukilteo Speedway
Snohomish Starbucks, 1101 Ave. D
Stanwood QFC, 27008 92nd Ave. NW
Sultan Red Apple, 807 W. Stevens St.
Hours for all locations
Thursday through Saturday: 2 to 8 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 2 to 8 p.m.
Election Day (Tuesday): 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For information, call 425-388-3444.
