UPDATED | Annexation leading by 8 votes
UPDATED Nov. 12 @ 6:06 PM
UPDATED Nov. 12 @ 4:16 PM
Proponents of annexation are watching the King County election results with nervous anticipation. As the results slowly drip in, it is clear that annexation is the only contest in Kirkland that remains undecided. The most recent update to the election results released by King County shows that Proposition A Proposed Annexation, Assumption Of Indebtedness, And Adoption Of Zoning currently has approval of just 60.08% of the voters. The measure requires 60% to pass. This means the margin is just 8 votes. (Note: Originally, this story incorrectly stated the margin to be 9 votes.)
The measure has been losing ground from its initial election night preliminary result of 62.06% in favor of annexaiton.
If annexation does not pass by a 60% margin, the issue may not be settled. The Kirkland City Council could choose to resurrect annexation in another form if it did not like the results of the election. They would at that point have several options including proceeding with annexation without the PAA taking on the assumption of Kirkland’s indebtedness. Or the Council may decide to table annexation for the time being.
It is also possible that the County or interested parties could demand a recount of the votes if they were not pleased with the final tally — an expensive proposition. The County has a vested interest in seeing annexation pass, so if it does not, plan on there being a recount.
As we learned in our state’s 2004 gubernatorial race, even recounts are not always conclusive.
King County releases the latest results tonight at 4:30PM.
Posted by Rob Butcher on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 8:44 am
Filed under Elections, Headlines · Tagged with Annexation
Print This Article
Related Stories:
|
|
|
|
|
Actually, it’s 8 votes. A “margin” is the difference between the two, meaning you can afford to lose that many votes, but it still passes. If you subtract nine votes, the measure fails. This is how Toby Nixon calculated 19 votes that you refer to above.
Subtract nine from the ‘Yes’ vote and then divide the difference by the total number of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ and you get 59.996%
It’s technical, I know. But it’s important that apples are apples when you talk about apples.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1
I agree. Should be 8 votes.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
Kendall,
I can’t refute your logic. I stand corrected and I thank you for bringing it to my attention. I have corrected the error and noted the change.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1
This is very odd, how can the results still be “dripping in”? Where are they dripping in from?
Like or Dislike:
0 
2
Hi Ann,
The results of the vote counting are being updated each night as they count more votes. The election had a deadline of Nov. 3rd by which all mail-in ballots needed to be postmarked. What is meant by “As the results slowly drip in…” is that each day we have new totals of the count so far as reported by King County Elections.
Nothing is final until the final election results are certified by the Canvassing Board on Nov. 24.
I’lll refer you to the King County Elections Results Schedule.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1
The vast majority of votes have been counted, but votes do continue to “trickle in” — from military and overseas voters whose ballots were signed and postmarked on election day but just take a long time to get here, from ballots that have been in the “duplication” queue (not marked properly, such as with checkmarks instead of filling in the bubble, and have to be redone with multiple observers), from ballots that were originally “challenged” for missing or mismatched signatures and whose voters have now “cured” the challenge by submitted required paperwork, etc. We will continue to see a trickle of votes right up until the last count on November 23, which will be certified as final on November 24. For most races, these last few votes make no difference and nobody pays attention to them, but for a handful of races it is just agonizing.
Just so you know, the annexation race is NOT the only close race in the county. As of yesterday, City of Black Diamond Proposition No. 1 was failing by just 2 votes; City of Normandy Park Proposition No. 1 was passing by just 9 votes; the race for mayor of Skykomish has only a 6 vote margin, and a race on the Skykomish City Council has only a 5 vote margin! But the Kirkland annexation is by far the largest race with a close margin.
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
wow, there will be some very unhappy people who didn’t bother voting, whichever side loses.
thanks for your response.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0