Evan Smith: Expect local voter turnout to beat State, County projections

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

Elections officials have predicted that turnout for the Tuesday primary will be 38 percent statewide and between 41 percent and 45 percent for King County. Whatever the State and County turnout, I expect a higher turnout in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.

Why? Because we have a more interesting ballot than we’d find in many other areas.

A newly naturalized citizen recently asked me about his ballot. I noticed how dull his ballot from Northeast Seattle looked. It had two legislative races. In one, the Democrat was unopposed. The other had one Democrat and one Republican, meaning that both would advance.

Contrast that with our area, where our ballots have three legislative races, each with three candidates. Two are highly competitive open seats, each with one Republican, one endorsed Democrat and one independent Democrat.

On top of that, voters in Lake Forest Park have a controversial levy measure, one that divides the City along lines that are hard for outsiders to understand.