Howie leads in early vote for Wahkiakum County sheriff

In the first round of counting ballots for Tuesday's general election, Mark Howie leads Mike Balch 879-684 in the race for county sheriff.

Auditor and Chief Elections Officer Diane Tischer said 142 ballots arrived too late to be counted Tuesday. Election officers will gather at 10 a.m. Friday to count those ballots and others which arrive by then.

In the county's other contested races:

--Wahkiakum School District Director 4--Shawn Merz 576, Lamar Blix 538.

--Naselle/Grays River Valley School District Director 2--Joshua Holt 129, Art Hyland 86.

--N/GRVSD Director 5--Bud Strange 134, Allen Lebovitz 115.

--Cathlamet Council Position 1--Hanna Booth-Watts 125, John Knopp 17. Knopp told The Eagle last week that he was asked to be a write-in candidate, and he had declined and didn't want to be a candidate for council.

In Wahkiakum voting on the state wide initiatives and advisory votes on the ballot:

--Init. 517--yes 741, 53.9 percent; no 633, 46 percent.

--Init. 522--yes 575, 37.4 percent; no 961, 62.6 percent.

--Advisory Vote 3--repealed 829, 63.2 percent, maintained 483, 36.8 percent.

--Advisory vote 4--repealed 823 62.2 percent, maintained 500, 37.8 percent.

--Advisory vote 6--repealed 876, 65.8 percent; maintained 455, 34.2 percent.

--Advisory vote 7--Repealed 795, 59.6 percent; maintained 538, 40.4 percent.