In an election year where Democrats may take back control of Congress and a statewide income tax is on the ballot, it’s a good bet many voters haven’t noticed Kitsap County residents are weighing a public takeover of their electricity service.

But it’s worth a look. What’s at stake — a vote to oust current electricity provider Puget Sound Energy from the peninsula — has ramifications for all of the private utility’s 1.2 million ratepayers across Western Washington. The decision could ultimately shrink PSE’s customer base, making it harder for the utility to continue its state-mandated build-out of clean energy projects.

Some Northwest energy experts worry the vote could even inspire other customers, from Bellingham to Olympia, to foment their own mutinies and pursue their own public option.…