Roads and Transit headed down to defeat

Yes: 79323/44.0351%
No: 100813/55.9649%
Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 14.54%

First returns are in on Prop 1 and the news is not good, not good at all. These returns represent mail in ballots received.

Polling has shown stronger support from people who voted early then those that had not yet voted. This could mean that as the night goes on the Yes vote will decline. However given that we are looking at lower then expected turnout those early voters could be representative of all voters. This is bolstered by polls like the UW poll that showed stronger support among likely voters.

Nevertheless I doubt we are overcoming a 10% deficit.

Update @ 9:14
Yes 101747/43.7462
No: 130838/56.2538%

What this likely means moving forward, assuming these results hold, is that the next battle is governance reform. We dodged the bullet last session, but it will be back next year. Governance reform is the death knell to anyone who wants a transit focused transportation system. Essentially governance reform lumps all our region's transit and transportation agencies into one overall body.

The proposal as it stood last year essentially gave rural areas a veto over regional transportation planning. This means that areas that see roads as the only answer get to tell those of us that realize the immense benefit of transit how to handle their transportation systems.