— by Margie Doyle —
Voters approved all levies in the Special Election, the San Juan County Elections Office reported on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 8:04 p.m.
With 5,096 ballots counted from 18 county precincts (out of a 12,019 registered voters) the 42.4% voter turnout results show:
- Orcas Island School Dist #137 Proposition No. 1 Replacement Educational Maintenance and Operations Levy was approved by 1,096 votes, or 69.99%
- Orcas Island Park & Recreation District Proposition No. 1 Concerning Park & Recreation funding levy was approved by 1,028 votes or 68.62%
- San Juan Island School District #149 Proposition No. 1 Capital Levy for School Facilities & Technology was approved by 1,956 votes, or 73.53%
- Lopez Island School District #144 Proposition No. 1 Technology Capital Projects Levy was approved by 613 votes, or 71.45%
I am baffled !! How is it possible to have ONLY a 42.4% voter participation when the voting is all by mail. Since everyone uses the Post Office on a regular basis, why would not everyone vote ???
I believe, strongly, that we each have a duty to vote, to participate in our democracy. Along with our right to free speech and the other guarantees of our Constitution, our right to vote should be precious to each of us.
The Presidential primaries will soon be upon us. Do your duty ! Participate !!
VOTE !!!
As a follow-up to Ed’s comment above, yes the presidential primaries are coming, but if you are planning on having a say in who the Democratic nominee will be, you have to participate in the March 26 caucus at the school cafeteria at 10:00 AM. See my earlier article in OI.
In America, we say that the right to vote is given only to those who by definition both qualify and register. There are those who say that system is flawed but flawed or not, it eliminates a lot of people from the right to vote and further by defining those who have the right we automatically give the right NOT to vote. In countries, like Australia, everybody has to vote or be fined and everybody is just that, period. The caucas system is supposed to give a broader voice to the citizenry and probably does but only, as David pointed out, if you participate
In response to Ed – I can see why there was only 42.4% vote if people had the same issue I had – my voter ballot did not even arrive in the mail until the 9th. It was a quick fill out and drop off. Not sure why it arrived late (I check my mail daily) but maybe others had the same issues and theirs arrived later then mine did. I have had the same address for at least 30 years so it wasn’t like they couldn’t find me.