THE NEWS CHICK BLOG

Washington students elect Obama, Inslee and defeat pot

Nov 3, 2012, 9:42 AM | Updated: 10:39 am

A record 81 percent voter ballot return rate is expected for Tuesday’s General Election. Stud...

A record 81 percent voter ballot return rate is expected for Tuesday's General Election. Students have already decided their mock election. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP photo)

(Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP photo)

Election results are already in for Washington middle and high school students, and you might be surprised with how they voted on the Initiatives.

The annual Mock Election, which ended early Friday afternoon after starting Monday, had 38,848 students participants. That’s more than double the old record of about 18,000, set in 2008.

Barack Obama won with 69 percent of the vote, compared with Mitt Romney at 31 percent.

In the race for Governor, about 57 percent of students picked Democrat Jay Inslee, to 43 percent for Republican Rob McKenna.

Students narrowly favored Initiative 1240, as 51 percent to 49 percent in favor of the charter schools measure.

I-502, the measure to legalize marijuana, was barely rejected by students, with 51 percent saying no while about 49 percent voted for it. Students overwhelmingly approved Referendum 74 to legalize same-sex marriage with 67 percent voting in favor.

Democrats and Republicans are going to extremes to get ballots returned for their candidates by Tuesday.

Democrats plan to make three million election calls in our state. Some with the GOP in King County will even pick up your ballot.

The King County Elections website recommends voters mail their own ballots through the US Postal system or drop them off at in an official elections drop box.

Some GOP volunteers have been going door-to-door campaigning for their candidates. If the voter has a completed ballot, they’ve offered to mail the ballot.

King County elections officials say there’s nothing illegal about having someone mail or turn in a completed, signed ballot. They don’t recommend it though. Spend a few cents on a stamp, walk a few steps to the mail box and let the postal service handle it.

The party says about 100 GOP volunteers will be out again over the weekend and on Monday making sure people remember to vote and return their ballots.

Washington State now votes entirely by mail. There are no polling sites.

The Secretary of State’s office expects an 81 percent voter turnout rate for the General Election.

By LINDA THOMAS

I’ll be anchoring KIRO Radio’s election night special coverage from 6 – 10 p.m. with talk show host analysis from Dori Monson, Dave Ross, Luke Burbank, and Michael Medved. KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and online MyNorthwest.com

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