Voters can spend one last cozy weekend curled up with their election ballots and voter guides, because ballots are due Tuesday.
Waiting for their decision are mayoral candidates in Oak Harbor and Coupeville, various city and town council candidates, and several statewide ballot measures.
Voters have until Nov. 6 to cast their ballot in this year’s election.
Their ballots have to be either postmarked by Tuesday or dropped off on election day.
Don’t expect any polling places to be open Tuesday. This is an all-mail general election, the first in the county’s history.
The Island County Auditor’s Office mailed out more than 40,000 ballots several weeks ago and, as of Friday morning, had received 12,504 ballots back from voters.
In addition to mailing in ballots, voters can drop them off Nov. 6 either at the Oak Harbor School District administration building located at 350 S. Oak Harbor St. or at the Island County Auditor’s Office located in the Administration Building at 1 NE Seventh St. in Coupeville. People choosing to drop off their ballots can do so between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Those using the post office should be sure ballots will carry a postmark no later than Nov. 6.
The fall election season has been a competitive one in both Coupeville and Oak Harbor.
The town of Coupeville has seen its most heated election in years. Every incumbent up for election is facing a challenger this year. Gordon Burton is the first person in 12 years to challenge Nancy Conard for her position as mayor.
On the town council, Roxallanne Medley is hoping to unseat Molly Hughes, Ann Dannhauer is facing incumbent Marshall Bronson, and incumbent Bob Clay and Gary Piazzon survived the primary and are squaring off in the general election.
Don Sherman and Carol Bishop are up for election on the Coupeville School Board, but they are both running unopposed.
Oak Harbor is also seeing several heated races this fall as well.
Since Patty Cohen decided not to run again, Jim Slowik and Paul Brewer are trying to win the election to replace her as mayor.
As for the city council races, Rick Almberg and Mel Vance are competing for position 3, Chris Hiteshew and Beth Munns are vying for position 2 and Jim Palmer and Bob Morrison are squaring off for position 1.
The Oak Harbor School Board has a competitive race this year. David Sherman and William Burnett are competing for a vacancy on the school board. Incumbent David McCool and newcomer Peter Hunt are running unopposed for different seats on the board.
There are several other important local elected positions that are contested this year.
Incumbent Benye Weber is facing a challenge from her neighbor, Dennis Parbs, for her seat on the Port of Coupeville, and Ron Wallin and Bert Speir are competing for a vacancy on the Whidbey General Hospital Board.
Statewide, voters will be deciding whether school district levy proposals should need a 50 percent majority to pass, rather than the 60 percent supermajority; if state tax increases should require two-thirds approval by the Legislature; and if insurance companies can be sued for denying claims, among several other items.
The Island County Voters’ Guide is available online at www.islandcounty.net/auditor/Elections/07_general/island_co_pamphlet_general07.htm. The state Voters’ Pamphlet is online at www.vote.wa.gov.
