Kitsap County voters were rejecting a measure that would let Kitsap Public Utility District get into the electricity business in early returns Tuesday night, 60.5% to 39.5%.
The measure had 34,935 yes votes and 53,513 no votes, according to unofficial results posted by the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office at 8:13 p.m. Tuesday. It needs a simple majority to pass.
Countywide, 92,136 ballots had been counted, a turnout of 45.1% of Kitsap County’s 204,242 registered voters.
The Kitsap County Auditor’s Office will keep counting ballots in the coming days, including mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day, and results can change. The county is scheduled to certify the election Nov. 24.
Proposition 1 asks whether Kitsap Public Utility District may build or buy facilities to generate, transmit or distribute electricity. KPUD, formed in 1940, now provides water, wastewater and telecommunications service, and state law requires voter approval before it can offer electric service. Puget Sound Energy serves most of the county today.
A yes vote would not require KPUD to provide power. The KPUD board has committed to a feasibility study of costs, rates and system needs first. Supporters argue public power could bring lower, more stable rates and local control.
Opponents, organized as Citizens for Accountable Utilities in Kitsap, say the measure grants permanent authority without a second public vote and that cost estimates should come first. Puget Sound Energy has spent about $2.4 million opposing it, The Seattle Times reported.
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