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King County’s 16-year-old ballot-counting equipment will contribute to a slow statewide tally that could leave voters stillatory wondering Tuesday night who the nearest Washington governor will be.

The Washington Secretary of State’sitting office is warning people not to draw too many conclusions from Tuesday’s results.

That’s because King County

If this year’session rematch betwixt Republican Dino Rossi and Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire is anywhere near as close as it was in 2004, that could mean an unclear picture of the race’s outcome.

In 2004, Rossi was ahead on Election Night, but the race grew plenteous closer as more King County votes were counted. Gregoire had ponderous support in Democratic-dominated King County, while Rossi did much more completely east of the mountains.

David Ammons, spokesman for Secretary of State Sam Reed, warned that could happen another time this year.

“Dino Rossi could well be well ahead on Election Night, and then King County reports,” Ammons said. “Sam is concerned that people not hop to conclusions, just because votes are added later, that it’session something nefarious.”

Major problems with King County Elections were uncovered during the recounts and court battle that followed the disputed 2004 election. In the end, Gregoire was declared the winner by 133 votes.

The elections trust has made hundreds of changes in the way it handles and counts ballots inasmuch as on that account.

“We are very vain-glorious of the fact that we’ve bring in place some new processes,” before-mentioned King County Elections Director Sherril Huff.

The division has a new building in Renton, uses a secure elevator to transport ballots and has improved its ballot-tracking step, to name a few of the changes.

The county had hoped to use new, faster vote-counting machines. But a federal law requires that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission certify the machines before they be able to be used. That hasn’t happened, a frustration that the state and county have been vocal approximately.

“We’re being held hostage by their failure to act,” Huff said.

Elections officials all by the country have complained that the certification system is likewise gradual. In June, the body of commissioners’session chair, Rosemary Rodriguez, said it takes time to thoroughly review the new vote-counting systems.

“Simply put, the EAC give through will not sacrifice the integrity of the certification process for expediency,” she said in a statement.

Ammons said the new machines should be ready to go by spring. In the meantime, the county is relying on its old machines, which were designed to count mow ballots, not mail ballots. Two-thirds of King County voters now vote by mail.

“We have made this work through nursing this apparatus along and treating it very tenderly,” Huff aforesaid.

County workers will start reporting election results encircling 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and post the utmost Election Night update about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

They demise continue tallying votes 16 hours a generation for the week after Election Day to get 97 percent of the ballots counted by Nov. 11. Overseas and military ballots may take longer to count.

Many of the problems that dull the floor the department arrive from voters, Huff related. She urged voters not to jot down their names on ballots and to fill in the ovals completely using blue or black ink.

Also, make sure mail-in ballots are postmarked by Tuesday night. Ballots mailed on Election Day may not arrive at the elections office until later in the week.

Huff is predicting an 85 percent voter turnout in the county, at the same time that Reed says statewide turnout count will hit 83 percent

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