Local turnout appears strong despite rain

Voter turnout appeared strong Monday despite stormy weather and the closure of two polling places due to flooding.

Snoqualmie Elementary School in Snoqualmie and Mt. Si Senior Center in North Bend were closed and advised voters to go to other polling places.

Elections spokeswoman Brooke Bascom said late Monday afternoon she didn't expect any more closures, but said voters in flood-prone areas, including the Green and Cedar river areas, should allow extra time to get to the polls, which close at 8 p.m.

Bascom and Ellen Hansen, chairwoman of the Citizens' Election Oversight Committee, said poll voting was going smoothly and they had received no reports of unusual problems aside from those caused by heavy rains.

Hansen said a co-worker was late for work after having to wait to vote for 15 minutes. Monica Tracey, a Republican Party representative on the oversight committee, said turnout was strong at a Renton polling place she visited, and many absentee voters were turning in their ballots at polling places.

Pat O'Hanley was determined to vote today despite flood-related road closures. The retired high school teacher, who specialized in teaching civil liberties, lives on a farm between Carnation and Duvall along Highway 203. Much of her land, as well as Highway 203 just south of it, is flooded by the Snoqualmie River.

"I'm on my way to vote," O'Hanley said. "I can see the road is closed south of me so I'm going north. I'll find a polling place and vote by provisional ballot."

It will be complicated. Highway 203 is also flooded north of her home. She plans to head north to Northeast Stillwater Hill Road and pick up Northeast Big Rock Road, which would take her to Duvall.

Voting is important to O'Hanley, who can't recall missing an election.

"If I have problems, I'm going to find a police officer and demand he or she take me to a polling place," she said.

The polling place at Snoqualmie Elementary is closed, affecting 997 voters. They should vote at Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway.

Voters normally voting at the Mt. Si Senior Center were advised to go to Sallal Grange, 12912 432nd Ave., in North Bend.

Election officials said earlier Tuesday that three polling places in Carnation and Fall City were at risk of being shut down because they are near the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers: River View School District Office in Carnation, Fall City Elementary and Fall City Fire Station District 27.

In Carnation and Duvall, residents were encouraged to drop off absentee ballots at the post offices in Carnation, at 4440 McKinley Ave., and in Duvall, at 26400 N.E. Valley Street. Mail service has been cut off in those towns due to the weather.

The ballots may not go out for a couple of days, the U.S. Postal Service said. But employees will hand postmark the ballots with today's date.

Road access to Stillwater Elementary and Vincent Community Club, both in Carnation, could be limited. To find out whether a polling place is closed today, call 206-296-VOTE or check www.metrokc.gov/elections.

If polls close because of flooding, voters registered there may cast provisional ballots at these polling places:

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; 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.

Staff reporter Sherry Grindeland contributed to this report.