Friday’s election count returns in the Klahanie annexation vote for Issaquah saw the “Against Annexation” vote widen to 52.3% 50.56% to 47.7%, 49.44% and a 349 spread.
For annexation: 3,575 1,490
Against annexation: 3,922 1,524
I accidentally put the Bag Ban figures in there. The spread and trend still widened, with “For” picking up 19 votes and “Against” picking up 24 votes. Unless there is a flood of votes to be counted, which I don’t believe is the case, the trend continues to be against annexation.
I’m declaring the annexation defeated, even though final results won’t be certified until Feb. 25. The trend has been negative from the second day and the spread is too great.
This result is outside the requirements for a mandatory recount:
(From King County Elections website:)
Required (mandatory) recounts
Recounts are mandated by law when votes for offices or statewide measures fall within a certain range. State law does not provide for a mandatory recount of local issues.
Mandatory machine recount
Any office or state measure must be recounted by machine when the difference between two candidates or choices is:
- Less than 2,000 votes difference AND
- Less than ½ of one percent
Mandatory manual recount
Statewide offices or measures must be recounted by hand when the difference between two candidates or choices is:
- Less than 1,000 votes AND
- Less than ¼ of one percent
For all other offices, ballots must be recounted by hand if the difference between the two candidates is:
- Less than 150 votes AND
- Less than ¼ of one percent
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Meantime, one of the local newspapers continues to miss the fact that if the annexation vote passes by 50%+1 (an increasingly unlikely prospect), Issaquah could still annex the area. The city posted this on its website Feb. 13:
Posted on: February 13, 2014
Klahanie Area Vote: What’s Next
During the Feb. 11, 2014, election, the Klahanie area voted on whether to join the City of Issaquah, or remain in unincorporated King County.
The results will be updated most weekdays and finalized on Feb. 25, after they are certified by the King County Canvassing Board.
Since the annexation proposition included authorizing both an annexation and an assumption of indebtedness, it requires a 60 percent majority to pass.
However, if the proposition instead passes by a simple majority, the City Council would have an option to:
• Accept the annexation, which means that the Klahanie area would not assume a proportionate share of the City’s existing indebtedness.
• Decline the annexation.
More information about the proposed Klahanie area annexation is available online.
For more information on the state’s full annexation process, visit the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington’s website.
Sammamish Comment 
Scott:
The NO’s are up only by 34 votes – but think it is now over
I believe you put in the plastic ban bag numbers..
Ramiro
Sorry about that. You’re right-I picked up the bag ban, but even readjusting, I’m sticking with my election call: the annexation is defeated.