Elections: We're Not Done
Several municipal election contests are headed for a recount. Read the details in this Saturday, November 10, Spokesman article or look at the daily (weekday, non-holiday) update on your smartphone app (Election Results, State of Washington Secretary of State) or see them here at the Spokane County elections website.
Breean Beggs candidacy for Spokane City Council is the biggest squeaker. Out of roughly 61,000 votes cast he trails by only 145, a gap that has narrowed with each day of ballot counting.
ACTION ITEM: If you voted for Breean Beggs, before you go on with your day, go to MyVote.wa.gov and look up your ballot. Click on My Ballot and then, in the dropdown menu that appears, click Ballot Status. There check to make sure your ballot was received and accepted. If it wasn't accepted (or received) call the County Elections Office at 509-477-2320. The most likely issue is a problem with your signature and could be resolved. Every vote could be the deciding vote in this race (and some others).
Whatever you find at MyVote.wa.gov about your own ballot, contact like-minded voters you know and encourage them to check on their ballots, too.
If you find a problem, please let me know via a Reply to this email. I think I can help to save the effort of others trying to contact you.
Counting will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, since today is a holiday. There are an estimated 9,600 ballots still to be counted in all of Spokane County, some part of which will apply to these close races.
Other (but less close) local squeakers are Karen Stratton in Northwest Spokane (City Council, so the total votes counted are around a third of the City Council President race) and Brandi Peetz in the City of Spokane Valley City Council election.
This is a good lesson for all: When you cast a vote you cannot know if the results will be so close that your vote will be the deciding one.
Keep to the high ground, Jerry