OLYMPIA -- With most of the state now on mail balloting, voters didn't exactly flock to the polls Tuesday, but there were plenty of intriguing races for this off-year November election.

One of the most contentious has been Referendum 71, which asks voters whether to approve the state's new "everything but marriage" law or to roll back more than 200 rights and benefits granted to thousands of gay and senior couples.

R-71 asks voters to approve or reject the final expansion to the state's domestic partnership law, which grants registered domestic partners additional state-granted rights currently given only to married couples.

Opponents of the new law say it is a threat to traditional marriage. Supporters of gay rights say same-sex couples need additional legal protections and rights.

The expanded law would add benefits, such as the right to use sick leave to care for a domestic partner, and rights related to adoption, child custody and child support.

The law was supposed to take effect July 26, but now will go on the books only if approved by voters. If rejected, previously enacted legislation on domestic partnerships would remain in place.

The underlying domestic partnership law, which the Legislature passed in 2007, provided hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will. Under state law, senior couples can register as domestic partnerships as well.

Last year, lawmakers expanded that law to give domestic partners standing under laws covering probate and trusts, community property and guardianship.

More than 12,000 people in Washington state are registered as domestic partners. Most of the couples are gay.

Washington state, along with several other states, including California, Oregon and New Jersey, have laws that either recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships that afford same-sex couples similar rights to marriage.

Eyman's latest

Meanwhile, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman awaited the voters' verdict Tuesday on his Initiative 1033, which would limit government revenue, cut property taxes and require voters to approve any tax hikes.

A wide coalition of opponents, including elected officials, labor unions and big business, is hoping it will fail. They say the government is already struggling with recession-fueled drop-offs in tax revenue.

Initiative 1033 borrows from earlier smaller-government measures enacted here and in other states.

Its central feature is a cap on revenue. If enacted, I-1033 would allow the main checking accounts of city, county and state governments to grow only fast enough to match price inflation and population growth.

Any revenue collected above the cap would automatically flow into a separate account, which would replace property tax revenue in the following year.

Governments could collect revenue above the limit only by getting voter approval for new taxes.

Some sources of income would be exempt from the cap, including the state's constitutionally protected Rainy Day Fund and some federal money to the state.

An estimate from the state Office of Financial Management says I-1033 could divert nearly $6 billion away from the state general fund over six years. Cities would lose about $2 billion during that stretch, and counties would lose close to $700 million.

Eyman says I-1033 establishes needed restrictions to keep government spending growth at reasonable levels as the state pulls out of recession. Without such safeguards, he argues, politicians are too apt to match spikes in revenue with unsustainable increases in spending.

Opponents, however, argue that this is exactly the wrong time to put government on a strict diet. Services are being cut at all levels because of big drops in revenue tied to the slow economy, and the opposition says Eyman's measure would lock in a "permanent recession."

Big Day in Seattle and King County

In Seattle, two political newcomers battled Tuesday to be city's next mayor, while a former TV news anchor and a seasoned local politician faced off for King County's highest office.

In the mayoral race, Joe Mallahan, a T-Mobile executive, and Sierra Club activist Mike McGinn outpolled Mayor Greg Nickels in the August primary and advanced to the general election. Nickels, a two-term incumbent, had been dogged by criticism of the city's response to a December snowstorm that paralyzed Seattle for nearly two weeks.

Following the primary, Mallahan and McGinn - both Democrats - set out to establish their names among Seattle voters. The position is technically nonpartisan.

Mallahan won key endorsements from established local politicians - including Gov. Chris Gregoire; business organizations, and labor unions, largely because of his support for a highway tunnel under downtown Seattle that would replace the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct.

McGinn made opposition to the tunnel a centerpiece of his primary campaign, but softened his position a few weeks ago.

Mallahan raised more than $710,000, including big chunks of his own money. McGinn ran a volunteer-fueled campaign, raised just over $200,000.

Going into Tuesday's election, polls showed the race was up for grabs.

In King County, voters will decide who will be the next county executive, choosing between County Council Chairman Dow Constantine and former TV news anchor Susan Hutchison. Although voters in the largely Democratic county made the position non-partisan last year, Constantine is a veteran Democratic politician, while Hutchison has strong ties to Republican politicians and some conservative causes.

About 20 percent of the more than 1,084,000 ballots issued had been returned as of Monday for the all-mail election, according to the county's election office. Voters had until Tuesday to postmark their choices, or drop them off at select locations.

More Statewide, Local Races

Aside from the big four, there were plenty of other local and regional races on the ballot. Check out vote.wa.gov to find specific voting information for your county.

And KOMONews.Com will post real-time election results here on our home page beginning at 8 p.m. when the polls close.