Day of decision: Ballots due by 8 p.m. today

POULSBO — Today is Election Day.

By the simple act of marking a ballot and dropping it into a dropbox or into the mail, North Kitsap voters will help decide whether President Obama gets a second term or Mitt Romney moves into the White House, whether Jay Inslee or Rob McKenna is the next governor, whether Bill Driscoll or Derek Kilmer is our next 6th District member of Congress.

Jennifer Forbes or Karen Klein will be the next Department 7 Superior Court judge.

In the 23rd state Legislative District, Sherry Appleton is seeking reelection; Drew Hansen is seeking a full term. Their opponents, Tony Stephens and James Olsen, hope to become agents of change.

Ditto in the County Commission races. In District 1, Rob Gelder is seeking a full term. In District 2, Charlotte Garrido is seeking reelection. Their opponents, Republicans Chris Tibbs and Linda Simpson, hope to tip the political makeup of the three-member commission.

Voters will also decide whether there should be more primary education options in Washington state. And they'll decide whether to uphold a law extending the rights and benefits of marriage to all couples regardless of gender.

Ballots must be postmarked today or deposited in a dropbox by 8 p.m. Dropboxes are located at:

— Poulsbo Fire Station, 911 NE Liberty Road, Poulsbo (also an Election Day voting location).

— Bainbridge Island Fire Department, 8895 Madison Ave. NE.

— Kitsap Regional Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton.

— Norm Dicks Government Center (upper parking lot), 345 Sixth St., Bremerton.

— Central Kitsap School District Administration Building, 9210 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale.

— Kitsap County Auditor Elections Division, 619 Division St., Port Orchard (also an Election Day voting location with Accessible Voting Units available).

As the results come in, NorthKitsapHerald.com will post stories about the election — what the next steps are for the winners, and what their election means to you.

In a get-out-and-vote editorial in its Nov. 2 edition, the Herald warned each voter about underestimating the importance of his or her one vote. In the August primary, Paige E. Mitchell tied with Timothy Runyan for a precinct committee officer position from Seabeck. Mitchell won in a coin toss. In the same election, in Clark County, a race for precinct committee officer was also decided by coin toss.

In the November 2011 general election, Tim Matthes became Port Orchard’s mayor after a recount gave him a five-vote lead. In Woodland, a tie vote for mayor was settled with a coin toss.

And, of course, there’s the election for governor in 2004, in which Christine Gregoire won by 129 votes — an average of 3.3 votes plurality per county.

The winners in Tuesday’s election will make decisions that affect how your tax dollars are managed, and the quality and level of services you receive for your tax investment. They will adopt budgets, make laws and set policy affecting our quality of life — including but not limited to education, defense, health, infrastructure, public safety. They will chart the course for economic development and jobs creation.

They all have one thing in common: They work for the voters, the ones who decide tonight who gets the job.

 

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