OLYMPIA – Tuesday could be an extraordinary election with high-stakes decisions involving every level of government.
Nationally, nothing less than control of Congress is up for grabs.
Statewide, the makeup of the Supreme Court and the future of property rights laws and the estate tax hinge on the outcome.
Around the region, voters will be deciding on 18 state legislators, a bond for a library in Arlington, a tax for police services in Sultan and a slew of edits in the document spelling out how Snohomish County government should be run.
Voters are expected to show a lot more interest than normal for an election without a presidential race. Secretary of State Sam Reed predicts 67 percent of Washington’s eligible voters will participate – the highest in more than three decades. That could amount to 2 million votes
The vast majority will be cast at home, not the polls. Thirty-four of the state’s 39 counties, including Snohomish, will conduct the election all by mail ballot. Even in ones that don’t, such as King County, most of the voters prefer the mail ballot.
To count, these must be postmarked on or before Tuesday. Snohomish County also has designated drop-off locations in the community.
Topping the ballot are the races for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republicans now hold majorities in both chambers of Congress – a 15-seat margin in the House and six seats in the Senate. Polling nationwide shows Democrats could close the gap and even possibly snare a majority in the House.
It is uncertain if Washington will play a role in the political math.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is seeking re-election to a second term. She faces four opponents: Republican Mike McGavick, Libertarian Bruce Guthrie, Green Party member Aaron Dixon and independent Robin Adair.
Cantwell, who won in 2000 by 2,229 votes, is running on her record of achievements. McGavick is campaigning to change the way Congress operates by replacing members, starting with the incumbent.
Early on, Republicans targeted this seat as a possible upset win. But the national party never invested heavily in it. McGavick, a former Safeco insurance executive, has put $2.5 million of his money into the uphill effort. He still trailed in polls entering the final weekend.
Snohomish County’s two congressmen, Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen and Jay Inslee, are heavily favored against Republicans Doug Roulstone and Larry Ishamael respectively.
Democrats are trying to pick up a seat or two elsewhere in the state.
Democrat Darcy Burner is battling Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in the 8th District, as is Democrat Peter Goldmark against Rep. Cathy McMorris in the 5th District.
Statewide, three initiatives on the ballot are stirring up citizen ire.
Initiative 920 would repeal Washington’s estate tax. Money collected from it goes into elementary and secondary education.
Initiative 933 would reform zoning laws and land-use processes, and Initiative 937 would mandate increased use of renewable resources by the state’s largest utility districts.
Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens is challenged by Stephen Johnson, a Republican state senator who chose not to run for re-election. Collectively, the two have raised and spent nearly $500,000. That doesn’t count monies spent by outside groups on ads and mailers trying to sway voters.
Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and Associate Justice Tom Chambers are also on the ballot for voter affirmation. They defeated opponents in the primary, contests that were noted for nasty negative ads and record spending.
In Snohomish and Island counties, 14 state representatives and four state senators are up for re-election. Seven are unopposed and one, Rep. Chris Strow, R-Freeland, faces a declared write-in candidate, Democrat Grethe Cammermeyer of Langley.
Kathy Vaughn is stressing her experience in seeking a third term on the Snohomish County Public Utility District board of commissioners. Her opponent, Eric Teegarden, a civil engineer from Mountlake Terrace, is pushing for increased emphasis on conservation and solar energy.
Among the city initiatives are ones for an $8.1 million bond to build a new library in Arlington and a one-year property tax hike to hire a police officer and buy new police cars in Sultan.
And there are six proposed amendments to the Snohomish County charter that serves as its constitution. One would set up an independent commission to set salaries of elected officials, including the county executive, members of the County Council and the sheriff.
Other amendments would give the county executive line-item veto power and the ability to craft budgets covering two years rather than one.
Island County voters will settle some spicy political contests Tuesday.
Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks is squaring off with his former chief criminal prosecutor, Steve Selby. Banks fired Selby in April, one work day after Selby declared he would run against his boss.
Another former county employee, Jay Wallace, wants to be sheriff. Wallace was fired as a sheriff’s deputy in April – he was accused of failing to fully respond to a 911 call and then lying about it. He denies the charge.
He will face Mark Brown of Oak Harbor, a Washington state trooper since 1974. He is a commercial vehicle safety officer.
One other headline race pits Republican County Commissioner Bill Byrd against Democrat John Dean, former editor of the Stanwood-Camano News.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
For voters pushing deadline, six post offices will postmark ballots until 8 p.m. on election day. Youll have to bring your ballot to them. The offices are:
* Edmonds, 201 Main St.
* Everett, 3102 Hoyt Ave.
* Lynnwood, 6817 208th St. SW
* Marysville, 1010 State Ave.
* Snohomish, 1323 Ave. D.
* Everett post office distribution center, 8120 Hardeson Road.
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