Only five votes separate the contenders in a Valley election, triggering a mandatory ballot recount in the coming weeks.

Challenger Gene Pollard led incumbent Karyn Denton 4,412 (49.78 percent) to 4,607 (49.73 percent) in the Public Hospital District No. 4 (Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District) race for Commissioner Position 3, when the King County Canvassing Board met to certify the election results Tuesday, Nov. 29. State law requires a recount if the difference in a local race is less than 150 votes and equal to or less than one-fourth of one percent (0.25 percent) of all votes cast, and in this race, the difference was just over five-hundredths, or.05 percent of the votes.

As of Monday morning, King County Elections spokesperson Kim van Ekstrom could not say when the recount might be done. The recount is set by the canvassing board, she said, and “It’s possible that we could have more than one (recount) and that could affect the schedule.”

Other Valley races had clearer outcomes.

The Si View Parks District is celebrating the voter support that will enable the district to overcome an 80 percent funding cut for next year. Proposition 1 to maintain the district’s current tax levy got 4,982 “yes” votes (87.88 percent) to 687 “no” votes (12.12 percent), and Proposition 2 for a supplemental one-year maintenance and operations levy easily achieved the 60 percent supermajority approval required with 4,272 “yes” votes (75.46 percent) and 1,389 “no” votes (24.54 percent).

Parks commissioner Amy McGhee, running unopposed, was re-elected with 3,484 votes (98.5 percent).

In the Snoqualmie Valley School District, three board members were up for election, but only one will be returning for another term. Incumbent Dan Popp defeated Peggy Johnson with 5,369 votes (56.72 percent) to Johnson’s 4,054 votes (42.83 percent). This race for Director District 5 also got 43 write-in votes.

For Director District 3, Carolyn Simpson also won handily, with 5,364 votes (55.11 percent). Her opponent, incumbent Craig Husa, earned 4,332 votes (44.5 percent) and write-ins accounted for 38 votes.

Challenger Geoff Doy claimed the spot for Director District 2 with 5,005 votes (51.33 percent) to incumbent Caroline Loudenback’s 4,708 votes (48.29 percent). There were 37 write-in votes.

Well over half of the district’s 21,740 registered voters, 12,614, cast votes in this election.

North Bend’s incumbent City Councilmen, Jonathan Rosen, Dee Wayne Williamson, David Cook, and Jeanne Pettersen each ran unopposed and were easily re-elected. Mayor Ken Hearing, who was opposed by last-minute write-in candidate Jim Curtis, also won another term, with 1,408 votes (92.51 percent), to 114 (7.5 percent) write-ins.

The contest for the remainder of retiring councilman Chris Garcia’s term went to Ryan Kolodejchuk, with 885 votes (54 percent). His opponent, Piper Muoio, received 741 votes (45.24 percent), and voters cast 12 write-in votes.

A city ballot measure, Proposition 1 to implement a 0.2 percent sales tax increase, also found solid support, with 1,135 voters (60.53 percent) in favor, and only 740 (39.47 percent) against.

Voter turnout in North Bend was 62.21 percent, or 2,086 of the city’s 3,353 registered voters.

Carnation’s councilmen, Fred Bereswill and Lee Grumman, were easily re-elected. Newcomer Erin Chamberlain was supported by voters in her bid to replace the retiring Stuart Lisk in Position 5, too, but the city’s ballot measure failed by 39 votes. Proposition 1 to increase the city’s property tax levy rate by $0.61 per $1,000 of assessed value, got 275 “no” votes (53.82 percent) to 236 “yes” votes (46.18 percent), with a voter turnout of 524, or 53.41 percent of the city’s 981 registered voters.

Snoqualmie incumbents defeated their opponents in two races. Jeff MacNichols, Position 2, received 1,807 votes (69.8 percent) to his opponent Kevin Ostrem’s 775 votes (29.93 percent), and Kingston Wall received 1,412 votes (55.57 percent) to his opponent, Terry Sorenson’s 1,117 (43.96 percent). Councilman Charles Peterson, running unopposed, was also re-elected. Voter turnout was 55.47 percent, 3,270 of the city’s 5,895 registered voters.

Both incumbent board members on the Riverview School Board, Carol Van Noy and Danny Edwards, were re-elected with more than 3,900 votes each, and newcomer Jodi Fletcher received 3,853 votes (98.74 percent) to win position 2, left open by the retirement of Dan Pflugrath. Voter turnout was 6,546, or 53 percent of the district’s 12,316 registered voters.

In King County Fire Protection District 38, Commissioner Ron Pedee reclaimed his position 1 with 1,765 votes (67.94 percent) to his opponent, Daniel Lang’s 817 votes (31.46 percent). Matt Talbot won position 2, with 2,207 votes (98.61 percent), running unopposed. Nearly 59 percent of the district’s 6,558 registered voters, 3,854 cast ballots.

Fall City Parks Commission candidate Matt Travis has won the race for Position 3, vacated by retiring commissioner Debra Pettersson, with 1,025 votes (63.15 percent. His opponent, John Rouches, received 581 votes (35.8 percent) and 17 write-in votes were cast. Voter turnout was 58 percent, or 2,186 of the district’s 3,767 registered voters.

To follow election results, go to http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx