On Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026, Pierce Transit Proposition 1 secured enough votes to pass. As of vote counting on Friday, November 6th, it had garnered 57.8 percent of the votes cast, 103,924 yes to 75,804 no. Proposition 1 was previously covered here for its potential to transform how Pierce County moves.
The measure adds three cents to a ten dollar purchase. That takes Pierce Transit’s share of the local sales tax from 0.
This November 3rd Tacoma and Pierce County voters will get the chance to increase funding for local transit service. The measure known as Proposition 1, would levy an additional 3 cents on some $10 purchases, to support a 47% increase in local bus service. This would bring Pierce Transit’s share of the sales tax from 0.6% to 0.9%, helping to close the gap with other jurisdictions like Thurston and King Counties, which levy more than 1.
Unlike Tacoma’s neighbor to the north (Seattle), which saw a dramatic turnaround in results with Katie Wilson coming in from behind the incumbent by 9 points to lead a week later, Tacoma’s Mayoral election was essentially settled on election day - with former Tacoma Councilmember Anders Ibsen (who represented District 1) again defeating Councilmember John Hines (currently representing District 1) in a citywide electoral rematch.
The Election as a Geographic Test Every election is a test of the sentiments of the public. Do they seek to change or to stay the course? Are the people hungry for new leadership? Are they satisfied with public services and infrastructure, the economy? And where are these sentiments the strongest or the weakest throughout a geography? It’s difficult to answer these questions, and damned near impossible without actual data.
