The Beachcomber reported that 967 ballots were received in the recent Vashon-Maury Island Community Council election. According to the King County Elections page, as of Jan. 28, 2010, there were 7,769 registered voters on Vashon Island. Therefore the ballots received represent only 12.4 percent of the Island’s registered voters.

While this percentage of voter response would be troubling in an appropriately monitored election, it is apalling in an election with no control on voter legitimacy and no control on votes per voter regardless of their registration status. Add in likely voter confusion given the “ranked choice voting” employed in the election, and we likely have election results that are somewhere between seriously flawed and meaningless.

This council is our only Island-specific governing representation within King County. Please either take the council and its elections seriously and do it right, or accept the paternalistic oversight by King County as our Island birthright. A process like this only contributes to our “Keep Vashon Weird” legend and offers no hope of meaningful voter franchise.

— Kevin Freeman