King County voters: Flooding closes one polling place, others threatened

King County has shut down a polling place at Snoqualmie Elementary and anticipates closing others in tomorrow's general election because of flooding. Election officials are recommending that voters in some locations make alternate plans for tomorrow.

If you are a poll voter:

The closure of Snoqualmie Elementary will affect 997 voters registered to vote there. Those voters should go to the Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway in Snoqualmie, to vote tomorrow.

Three other polling places in Carnation and Fall City could potentially be shut down because they are near the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers: River View School District Office in Carnation, and Fall City Elementary and Fall City Fire Station Dist. 27 in Fall City.

To find out whether they will be closed tomorrow, call 206-296-VOTE or check online at www.metrokc.gov/elections. Road access could potentially be limited to Stillwater Elementary and Vincent Community Club, both in Carnation.

If King County closes those polls because of flooding, voters registered there will need to cast a provisional ballot at alternate polling locations listed below.

Poll voters also can request an absentee ballot today only, in person at the King County Elections Office, 500 Fourth Ave., Room 553, Seattle. The office will be open until 7 p.m. today. To get to the office after 6 p.m., enter through the King County Courthouse on Third Ave.

Also, a one-time absentee ballot can be requested through today by filling out a Web form at https://www.metrokc.gov/elections/absentee/onetime_email_form.htm. King County will e-mail you the ballot, which must be mailed in and postmarked by tomorrow.

"We don't want flood waters or road closures to prevent voters from participating in Election Day tomorrow," said Bobbie Egan, spokeswoman for the King County elections office.

If you are an absentee voter:

All absentee ballots must be postmarked by tomorrow. If the post office cannot pick up your mail because of flooding, you must drop it off at a post office or at a polling place.

To contact King County elections, call 206-296-VOTE or visit www.metrokc.gov/elections.

If polling places in flooded areas are closed, these are the alternate polling places where voters can cast provisional ballots:

•North: Duvall Church, 15520 Main St., Duvall; Stillwater Elementary (may not be accessible from Carnation-Duvall Road), 11530 320th Ave. N.E., Carnation

•South: Preston Community Club, 8625 310th Ave. S.E., Preston; Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend; Sallal Grange Hall, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend

•West: Redmond Fire Station No. 14, 5021 264th Ave. N.E., Redmond; Timberlake Christian Fellowship, 4505 236th Ave. N.E., Sammamish; Beaver Lake Middle School, 25025 S.E. 32nd St., Issaquah; Challenger Elementary, 25200 S.E. Klahanie Blvd., Issaquah

Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com