Corruption Charges Dog Tacoma's Water Bond Vote
Citizens and whistleblowers allege ballot-stuffing and illegal voting in a contentious election deciding the fate of the city's private utility purchase.
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Tacoma's water bonds were voted on today with a precarious three-fifths majority of 110 votes. Opponents of the bond issue allege significant irregularities, including the posting of election notices only 26 days prior instead of the required 30, and rampant 'repeating' and colonization of voters in specific precincts. In the Fourth Ward, Deputy Sheriff H.C. Hanke reported witnessing voters using pre-arranged lists to cast ballots without calling out their names. When Hanke attempted to investigate, he was forcibly removed by Jim Dorsey, a representative for the Light and Water Company. While supporters are celebrating, opponents are preparing to challenge the validity of the results in court, hoping to prevent the bonds from ever being issued.
“The men, he claims, voted on the names arranged for them on a list and did not call out their names at all, the clerks checking off the name given the man casting the ballot.”
This 1893 battle over the public ownership of a private utility mirrors the ongoing tensions in modern municipal politics regarding the privatization of critical infrastructure and the influence of corporate interests on local ballot measures.
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