Prop. 1 | Which residents can vote on issue?

While thousands of voters wrestle with their decision on "Roads & Transit" Proposition 1, others are perplexed about why it's not on their ballots.

The boundaries for the big transportation measure include only the urban portions of Snohomish, King and Pierce counties, and leave out many areas. It would fund 50 miles of light rail and 186 miles of new road lanes, using new sales and car-tab taxes.

A few Seattle Times readers have asked if their ballots were misprinted, or if they are being discriminated against by politicians. A few dozen voters have called their elections offices.

Here are some facts:

• The "Roads & Transit" voting district is the same as today's Sound Transit taxing district in urban King and Pierce counties (seemap). If you're unsure, check your green vehicle-registration form. If there's a "Sound Transit" car-tab tax listed, you're in.

People outside the line won't pay the proposed new car-tab tax. They would pay Proposition 1's sales taxes when they shop at places such as Southcenter or Bellevue Square in the district, but not, for example, at the outlet stores in North Bend, beyond the line.

• In Snohomish County, the voting area includes Sound Transit's territory, plus Monroe, Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Arlington, Tulalip and Marysville. Those places would get road projects — mainly a widening of Highway 9 — and pay the roads taxes only.

County Councilman Gary Nelson said the boundaries were "poll-driven" to exclude potential "no" voters outside the urban area.

• The result of next Tuesday's vote hinges on two separate but similar ballot counts. Proposition 1 must win in the tri-county Sound Transit area, and it must win in the tri-county transit area plus the outlying Snohomish County areas. If not, the whole proposition goes down.

To voter Michael Hallman, who lives three blocks outside the district near Redmond, the measure looks like taxation without representation. Nearly all his purchases would be subject to the sales tax, he said. "My issue is if I'm going to pay on it, I should vote on it," he said.

Anne Fennessy, spokeswoman for the roads portion of the plan, replies that people outside the line will benefit from using the roads.

• More than one ballot measure is labeled "Proposition 1." King County has seven in various districts, ranging from a countywide Emergency Medical Services levy to fire-district levies. So take a close look.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com