EVERETT – Six area school districts want polling places open in February’s election, a demand that may force Snohomish County to acquire million-dollar voting equipment to conduct the vote legally.
Historically for school districts, poll votes come in at a higher percentage of yes votes than mail-in ballots.
On Friday, school leaders told county Auditor Bob Terwilliger they want polls open Feb. 7 when they seek voter approval of their bonds and levies.
Terwilliger, who can’t overrule them, had hoped to convince the districts to go with mail ballots, because the county cannot legally use its existing voting machines at the polling places.
Starting Jan. 1, state law requires Snohomish County’s touch-screen voting machines to provide voters a way of seeing on paper the choices they have make. But the device that required to provide a paper audit won’t be available for the county-owned model until fall 2006.
Terwilliger said Friday he will go to the County Council and County Executive Aaron Reardon in the next two weeks with an outline of “what we can do and what it will cost to do it. And we have to do it as soon as we can.”
There are options – and all cost money. The county could buy a newer model of its touch-screen machines with a paper trail attachment. Or it could try to borrow the equipment from other states.
If the county wants to revert back to all paper ballots – a suggestion made by Republican County Councilman Jeff Sax – that requires buying or renting counting machines for each polling place. Voting machines for the disabled also must be available at each poll site. Terwilliger said the cost for this option could reach $1.3 million.
“Whatever we do will be with money we don’t have,” Terwilliger said.
He didn’t request, and Reardon did not insert, any funding in the proposed 2006 budget. Both men want the county to switch to all-mail ballots. They cite the declining number of poll voters and increasing number of those who vote by mail.
In November’s presidential election, 61 percent voted at home in the county and 39 percent went to the polls. In Tuesday’s primary, when only 25 percent of eligible voters participated, the vast majority of them – about 80 percent – cast mail ballots.
A County Council majority of Gary Nelson, John Koster and Sax, all Republicans, have steadfastly backed poll voting, but stopped short of allocating money to purchase the paper trail equipment.
Their concern is that the state Legislature may make it a moot point and require mail balloting statewide. The full council voted Sept. 14 to delay a final decision on spending the money until March, after the Legislature adjourns.
That’s why Friday’s meeting between Terwilliger and leaders of the Edmonds, Everett, Lake Stevens, Mukilteo, Northshore and Snohomish school districts so important. It compels the political leaders to act. It could be a short-term decision ensuring that February’s election is run legally. Or it could drive a long-term investment that might pre-empt later action on switching to all-mail ballots.
Terwilliger said one option that does not appear possible is for the County Council to override the school districts and require an all-mail election.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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