Election Day and Flooding (Washington State)

[Divernan]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

NEWS
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Election Day And Flooding

If you're unable to get to your polling place because of flooding, you can cast a provisional ballot at any polling place. In King County, call 206-296-VOTE (8683) to locate polling places and for the latest information about weather-related problems. You also can go to: metrokc.gov/elections/

Officials advise that flooding of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers might affect voters in the Carnation, Fall City and Snoqualmie areas. The Snoqualmie Elementary polling place at 39801 S.E. Park St., Snoqualmie, has been closed. Voters will be routed to Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway, Snoqualmie.Other polling places near the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers: River View School Dist. Office, Carnation; Fall City Elementary; Fall City Fire Station District 27.

Polling places that aren't in danger of flooding but may have road-access issues: Stillwater Elementary, Carnation Vincent Community Club, Carnation.Nearby, alternative voting locations in the Snoqualmie Valley: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.North: Duvall Church, 15520 Main St., Duvall.West: Redmond Fire Station 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.

Provisional ballots: If you can't make it to your polling place today, you may cast a provisional ballot at any polling place between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voters also can call the Voter Hotline at 206-296-VOTE (8683) between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voters are encouraged to use King County's online tool "Your Voter Guide" to create a sample ballot with the candidates and measures. Voters can download, print and take the sample ballot to their polling place and write in the race and candidate choices. Learn more at www.metrokc.gov/elections/pollingplace/voterlookup.aspx.

[MGD]

1. I'm sure the flooding is disproportionately concentrated in Democratic precincts. nt

[PrimeRibGuy]

2. Good Point

That was my first thought too. Can you say voter suppression.

[tavalon]

22. No God is not assisting the voter suppression

Guys, we're in the middle of a bona fide flood out here. Not everything is voter suppression. I'm one of the biggest shouters about all of the problems in the voting system and I live in the backyard of Seattle where Andy is from. This situation has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with voter suppression and this is kind of embarrassing to have you guys thinking this way.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE! n/t

[superconnected]

12. It is but it's because western washington is Dem.

The flooding here is real.

[tavalon]

23. Seattle is Democrat

The areas predominantly affected by this flooding are actually Rethug strongholds.

[Missy Vixen]

17. Actually, the flooding is in primarily Republican precincts

We live in Duvall; East King County has been trending Democratic but out here in farmland, there's still an awful lot of Republicans. I know Carnation is not a lefty stronghold, for example.

Let's hope that the blue voters mailed in their absentees before today.

Julie

[tavalon]

21. No, actually, it isn't

The areas being affected are the predominantly Republican areas.

[depakid]

4. Now, don't you all wish that you voted by mail

like your poor Oregon neighbors to the south?

}(

[customerserviceguy]

5. A lot of Washington

already votes by mail, my county does 100% mail voting. I just wish they'd skip to the next logical step and let me vote on the Internet. If I can do 100% of my money transactions with my debit card and online bill paying through my credit union, some 25-30 transactions a month, why not let me vote a few times a year in this way, as well?

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. Web voting: Black box voting without the box?

How many people voted? I dunno.
Was there voter-verified paper audit trail? No.
What did the exit polls indicate? Uh, no "exit" therefore no poll.

... but I'm pretty sure that Dr Evil won, cuz the TV said so.

[heliarc]

28. Not really...

I sent my tax payment in last year via US post and the Mail truck opened its contents into the San Francisco bay. Can't say I wish I'd voted by mail.

[depakid]

29. Curious

I wonder what they do with your sales tax payments...}( }(

[williesgirl]

6. Hey guys, lighten up on these folks. keep kicked so they know what to do

recommended

[WebeBlue]

8. kicking - it really is flooding here in WA - not Rove this time n/t

[Toots]

7. Oregon doesn't have that problem

They have over eighty percent "turn out" even in off year elections and floods or even hurricanes don't matter one bit.... go figure......

[ileus]

10. GW and his wicked weather making machine...n/t

[Straight Shooter]

18. It's because we like filling in the little oval circles.

Actually I think it makes a difference when you have something mailed to your home. It's hard to ignore a paper ballot, especially when you can review it in the privacy of your home, at your convenience.

I don't worry about whether my vote is counted. I don't worry about voters being intimidated. Voting is such a basic right and duty and privilege as a citizen, it's hard to believe the fiasco that voting has become in other states.

[donsu]

9. kick

nt

[melody]

11. In the words of my friend in Vancouver, WA

"I don't care if we have to swim to the damned polling place, we're voting." lol

[Spirochete]

26. I'm in Vancouver

and it hasn't been raining all that hard for the last few hours. The roads are mostly driveable, except maybe right down by the Columbia - the roads have flooded down there before. They should be able to get to the polls all right, I'd imagine.

[Mrs. Overall]

13. Kicking for my fellow Washingtonians! Stay safe and dry!

[progressivebydesign]

15. Kick for my Washingtonians... n/t

[Evergreen Emerald]

16. We were nearly trapped by flooded roads--took the long way to work.

Two of our thoroughfares were blocked by river floods. We made it out, after trying two different routes. I voted a week ago by absentee ballot--our county is also 100% absentee.

[Kurovski]

19. Kick.-nt

[Lurking Dem]

20. My sister is holed up on Camano.

They stocked up on supplies yesterday and will wait it out - they had already voted. My folks are high and dry in Poulsbo and they voted by mail.

[Missy Vixen]

24. For anyone following this story

Woodinville-Duvall Road is in the process of being closed. This will essentially landlock Duvall. Carnation has been landlocked since this morning. We could be cut off for at least a couple of days.

Let's hope that those who manage to make it home have either already voted, or are voting now, and that those who can't get home are safe and find a place to stay.

Julie

[SeattleGirl]

25. Stay dry, Julie! Did you already vote?

I vote absentee. Sent my ballot in last week. Yesterday, I drove my husband's ballot to the post office in Skyway to drop it off there, and there were tons of people there, ballots in hand, either dropping them off at the mail box there, or going in to get extra postage. While the state said that they would pay for extra postage if someone only put a first class stamp on the ballot, I think a lot of people are thinking like me -- not wanting to give the GOP any opening to try and keep the ballot from being counted because it did not have enough postage.

[Missy Vixen]

27. I voted!

;-)

We took our absentees to the local polling place about an hour ago. Duvall's jumping. There's lots of people wandering down the streets because they sure as hell can't go anywhere else right now. :woohoo:

>I think a lot of people are thinking like me -- not wanting to give the GOP any opening to try and keep the ballot from being counted because it did not have enough postage.<

I am SO crossing my fingers for a large turnout and Democratic wins. I hope that you are warm and dry as well, and that you stay that way!

Julie