Originally published September 8, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified September 8, 2007 at 2:07 AM
2 votes to elect one county official
King County voters will decide whether they want to elect the person who runs elections. But they would have to vote twice. The County Council, divided...
Seattle Times staff reporter
King County voters will decide whether they want to elect the person who runs elections. But they would have to vote twice.
The County Council, divided along party lines, voted Friday in favor of a two-step process that could see an elections director elected in February 2009, but only if voters this November approve putting a charter amendment on the November 2008 ballot.
The charter amendment is proposed by Initiative 25, which 74,000 county voters signed.
Sponsors of I-25 had asked the council to put the charter amendment up for a vote this November. If the amendment was approved then, an elections chief would have been chosen next February.
But the council's Democratic majority opposed a February election without a primary. "It means that potentially there could be three, 10, 30 individuals on the ballot," said Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac. In the worst-case scenario, she said, an elections director could be chosen with "10, 12 percent of the vote."
Republicans have pushed for an elected manager of elections since King County was embarrassed by ballot-handling errors in the contested 2004 governor's election. Every other county in Washington elects its elections chief.
"There is no reason why [voters] should have to vote twice," said Toby Nixon, chairman of Citizens for Accountable Elections, sponsor of I-25.
Patterson called the February election proposal supported by council Republicans "crazy." Her Democratic colleague, Dow Constantine of Seattle, branded it "reckless."
Electing an elections chief during February's presidential primary wouldn't have cost King County taxpayers anything extra. Holding a separate election in February 2009 would cost between $1 million and $2.9 million, said De'Sean Quinn, County Executive Ron Sims' liaison to the council.
The council's 5-4 vote Friday came during a special meeting at Mercer Island's Mercer View Community Center on the last day the council could act and still have the initiative included in the county voter pamphlet.
In other business, the council adopted Initiative 24, which seeks to expand public feedback to county officials by setting up a "citizen councilor network" of small discussion groups. The initiative's author, Dick's Drive-In co-founder Dick Spady, earlier this week offered to pay the $130,000 in estimated staff costs for the first two years of the program.
Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Tight Senate vote launches health care over hurdle
Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote
Landrieu to vote to move ahead on health-care bill
Senate vote clears hurdle on health bill
Constantine to trim personal staff and salaries

LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham talks about the upcoming MLS Cup final during after a team practice.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
- Man shot in chest on E. Union Street in Capitol Hill
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- Mariners Blog | A Mariners-Tigers swap makes a whole lot of sense for both teams
- Italian prosecutors request life sentence for UW student
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Mariners to try Dustin Ackley at second base
- Mariners Blog | Dustin Ackley to move to second base; Mariners add six to 40-man roster
- Genetics anti-bias law takes effect
- Senate vote clears hurdle
194 - First key vote today on Senate health bill
166 - Mariners add six to 40-man roster
140 - Man shot in Capitol Hill
91 - Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
87 - Italian lead prosecutor argues Knox motive was hatred
73 - Saturday links
50 - Bye week answers, volume four
49 - Prosecutor requests life in prison for Amanda Knox
43 - Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote
37
- Washington state wines make annual best-of list
- Nonprofits get creative using Twitter and Facebook to make donation easier
- Great places to cross-country ski for free (or almost) in the Methow
- Lynnwood is reinventing itself — again
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- UW provost tapped for Nike's board
- 175 foster kids in Washington get 'forever families'
- Recipes: Sesame Pork Roast, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce and more
- BofA moves to take control of Mastro building in Fremont
- Food-bank donations pour in after theft in Rainier Valley





