More on the low voter turnout in Mountlake Terrace

Published 4:33 pm Wednesday, November 23, 2011

With Mountlake Terrace having the lowest voter turnout in South Snohomish County in the Nov. 8 general election, here are more perspectives from MLT City Council candidates.

The city had a ballot-return rate of 48 percent as of Nov. 21, compared with 63 percent in Edmonds, 62 percent in Woodway, 58 percent in Brier, 51 percent in Lynnwood, 55 percent for the entire Edmonds School District, 52 percent for all of Snohomish County and 53 percent for the whole state.

Councilwoman Laura Sonmore, who apparently has won re-election by a 66 percent to 34 percent margin over challenger Christina O’Brien, says that it’s because of a lack of struggles, troubles and disappointments within the city.

“Mountlake Terrace citizens should be proud of the fact that their city has set the example of how a city should be managed,” she said Tuesday. “City services have not been cut. We have a city manager with a finance background and a council who follows strict financial policies and legal advice.”

Robert Reedy, who trailed incumbent Councilwoman Michelle Robles 63 percent to 34 percent Tuesday, disagrees.

“I hope it is not because they (voters) feel the council is a bunch of full-of-themselves crooks and it doesn’t matter who gets in,” he said Tuesday. “It will matter this time. Next time, too. But don’t ask (Councilman) Jerry (Smith) or Seaun (Richards) or Laura, Michelle or (Councilwoman) Kyoko (Wright) as they want a closed-circuit government and don’t like talking.”

Reedy also blamed the low turnout on apathy, but added Tuesday, “That may change when they get stuck with the $20 car tab fee that the council has voted for.”

Richards, who leads incumbent Councilman John Zambrano 54 percent to 45 percent, says that voter involvement was better than the percentages show.

“While the percentages may seem low I am pleased that more people registered to vote and got involved,” he said Monday. “More people voted this year than in the last five City Council race election cycles since 2001. This is positive for Mountlake Terrace and validates that the city is listening to the voters.”

General election returns so far show that each race drew between 4,250 and 4,394 votes out of 5,017 ballots cast in Mountlake Terrace, meaning that between 623 and 767 ballots were blank in each MLT City Council contest. Between 12 and 38 voters cast write-in votes in each contest.

Snohomish County officials plan to release updated returns Nov. 28, the day before final certification.

The expected final countywide turnout is 52 percent to 53 percent. Elections officials had 20 uncounted Snohomish County ballots on hand Tuesday. They may get a few more ballots from voters whose ballots were returned for signature verification.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com