King County voters had their say.

Last evening, King County Elections (KCE) said that to date: 973,274 votes have been counted and verified, representing more than 82 percent of eligible voters.

In the 41st Legislative District, KCE reports that 91,550 votes were mailed to registered voters. Of those 76,964 were returned, verified and tallied for a return rate of 84.37%

17,646 ballots were mailed to registered voters on Mercer Island. Of those 15,233 or more than 86 percent were received and verified. Only the City of Normandy Park and Legislative District No. 36 (with over 101,000 voters) had a higher return rates of 86.71 and 86.81 percent respectively.

A story on state elections in the New York Times on Wednesday included the fact that Washington State’s incoming Governor Jay Inslee, was essentially elected by the voters in just eight counties. Inslee won by about 95,000 votes statewide out of about 3.1 million cast.

The pattern was the same in all West Coast states, the story continued, pointing out that Democrats were essentially elected by urban counties. Only one Republican in any West Coast state won a statewide election this year. Only Kim Wyman, Washington’s secretary of state-elect was chosen this year. The story goes on to point out that Oregon residents have not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2002.

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In the presidential election year of 2008, KCE mailed ballots to 16,787 registered voters on Mercer Island of which 14,735 voted, a turnout of about 88 percent.

In that year, some 7,700 Island voters, or 58 percent, supported the regional expansion of light rail to the Eastside. With that vote, Sound Transit was granted the ability to fund and begin work to extend  light rail across I-90 with a station on Mercer Island near the North Mercer Park and Ride. In 2007, Islanders also voted in support of a regional roads and transit package that ultimately failed.  Mercer Island was the only city in King County that supported the measure in 2007, Sound Transit officials said.

However, Islanders rejected the highway congestion relief initiative, I-985, in 2008 and chose Republicans Rob McKenna, to be the State attorney general.

Islanders also voted in support of the re-election of Democrat, Gov. Chris Gregoire, in 2008, who received 58 percent of the Island’s vote, or 8,366 votes. In the much anticipated rematch, Republican candidate Dino Rossi received 5,971 Island votes, just 42 percent.