Kitsap Public Utility District's Bid to Enter the Power Business Rejected by 58.4% of Voters in Washington
Voters in Kitsap County, Washington, are rejecting Proposition 1, which would authorize the Kitsap Public Utility District to enter the electricity business by building or buying facilities to generate, transmit and distribute power.
According to unofficial results posted by the Kitsap County Auditor's Office at 3:53 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, the measure had 69,386 no votes (58.4%) against 49,439 yes votes (41.6%). A total of 124,163 ballots had been counted countywide, a turnout of 60.8% of the county's 204,242 registered voters. The proposition needs only a simple majority, but the no side leads by nearly 20,000 votes.
The auditor's office said counting will continue in the coming days, including mail ballots postmarked by Election Day, and results could still change. The county is scheduled to certify the election on November 24.
Most of Kitsap County is currently served by Puget Sound Energy. According to The Seattle Times, the company spent about $2.4 million opposing the measure, the most spent on any single issue in this local election cycle. Supporters argue a public utility role in electricity could offer cheaper, more local power, while opponents warn the measure grants lasting authority without another public vote and that building grid facilities would require major public investment and carry high risk.
Source: Kitsap County Auditor's Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：华盛顿州布雷默顿的水库大坝。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A reservoir dam in Bremerton, Washington. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
