King Conservation District Elects Supervisor

RENTON—Eric K. Nelson of Duvall has been elected as a
member of the King Conservation District
board of supervisors following a final canvassing of votes in a milestone Internet-based election ending Tuesday (March 15). The
results follow completion of the final voter signature
reconciliation.

The vote tallies for elected board position No. 2 included
Nelson (1292); Douglas "Bruce" Elliott, Kent (820);
Teri Herrera, Redmond (129); Preston Prudente of
Sammamish (54), and four write-in votes.

In one of the first elections of its kind in the U.S.,
King Conservation District's 30-day, online election
began February 15. The district also provided an
"in-person" voting option at the district's offices on
the final day of the election.
The unofficial election results from the district-wide
election will be certified by the Washington
Conservation Commission  at
its business meeting on May 16.  

Nelson, who will serve a three-year term, will be sworn in at the King
Conservation District board of supervisors meeting in
June.

The King Conservation District encompasses most of King
County and delivers natural resources information and
technical and funding assistance for stewardship
efforts by landowners. It is one of 46 conservation
districts in Washington State.

The election was conducted for the King Conservation
District through election supervisor Election Trust
(Bellevue) and Scytl USA (Washington, DC).

"The 2011 election was an important building block for
future online elections held by the district," 
King Conservation District board of supervisors
Chairman Bill Knutsen said. "In the long term, we believe
online voting remains the best option to broaden voter
participation in the King Conservation District
election process."

Knutsen said providing a secure voting process in this
pioneering internet-based election was an important
goal from the beginning.

"We understand the two-step process of confirming a
voter's eligibility, followed by voting, was a new
experience for voters participating in their first
online election," said Knutsen. "In the end the process
provided the best means for election security and
integrity."

Elections for the King Conservation District and other
conservation districts in Washington State are
conducted pursuant to guidelines established by RCW
89.08 (http://www.kingcd.org/pdf/new_ele_rcw.pdf)  with
oversight from the Washington State Conservation
Commission, an agency created
to assist and guide conservation district activities in
Washington State.

For more information on the election and the King CD,
visit www.kingcd.org

King Conservation Board members serve voluntary, three-year terms. The five-member board includes three
elected members and two appointed by the Washington
State Conservation Commission. All supervisors serve
three-year terms. As public officials, their
responsibility is to ensure that the King CD meets its
legal and public trust obligations. The board of
supervisors conducts regular public meetings to oversee
the district's budget and provide policy guidance and
oversight to district staff.