According to King County Elections (http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/201102.aspx) as of Friday, February 11th, 9,806 
Snoqualmie Valley School Bond ballots were returned – 45% of issued ballots. Of those returned ballots, 9750 have been counted. The YES total went up a fractionally again to 59.7%. Still short of the 60% approval number needed for school construction bonds in Washington State.
There are still more votes to count, though. Based on returned vs counted ballots there are another 56 to count – with the possibility of more trickling in early this week. There are also “challenged” ballots to count and add to the final result.
Historically, SVSD school bond elections see 200 – 300 ballots challenged. This election is no different. Ballots are usually challenged for signature issues – when sloppy signatures don’t match the one on file or signatures are altogether forgotten. King County Elections contacts every voter whose ballot is challenged. Individuals are given the needed paperwork to reconcile the problem AND a prepaid envelope to return the paperwork. BUT, after that it is up to the individual voter to follow through to ensure their ballot is counted. If you have been contacted about a challenged vote and have questions please call 206-296-VOTE. Challenged ballots only have until February 22nd to be reconciled and added to the election result. So don’t procrastinate if you want your voice heard!
If you would like to track your ballot to ensure it was counted check https://info.kingcounty.gov/elections/mailballottracking.aspx. There are 3 track points shown. If your ballot makes it to track point #3 it has been counted – no worries. Once the signature is verified and the ballot removed from the security envelope, it is anonymous and cannot be tracked any further.
Right now, the difference in this school bond election stands at 30 votes. Can those remaining 300 or so ballots contain enough yes votes to move from 59.7% to 60%? Only time will tell. One thing is certain, the old saying “every vote counts” most definitely applies in this 2011 SVSD School Bond Election.
Updated results will be monitored and reported on this site.
