And the winner is: Quarter No. 2.

The design with a salmon breaching the water and Mount Rainier as a backdrop was picked by 45 percent of the 134,345 people who voted in an online poll on what the state's commemorative quarter should look like.

The state Quarter Advisory Commission, which met yesterday, decided which design to send to Gov. Christine Gregoire, but did not disclose its choice. She will announce the winner sometime this summer.

It was a close vote between quarters No. 1 and 2, with the first quarter — depicting an outline of Washington state with apples, Mount Rainier and a salmon — picking up 41 percent of the vote.

A third design, a Northwest Native American-styled orca, received 14 percent of the vote.

It was a far different picture last month when the poll was hijacked by robotic computer programs, pushing the orca design way out in front as total votes tallied more than 1 million.

"From these three choices, Washington will have a quarter next spring that is beautiful, collectable and sure to be treasured for years to come," said commission Chairman Mike Gregoire.

Gov. Gregoire will announce the design for the new quarter after formal approval by the U.S. secretary of the Treasury.

Washington's quarter will be the 42nd in a series commemorating the states.

It is scheduled for release in 2007.

Five quarters are being released a year, based on the order in which the states entered the union.

The program ends in 2008, with quarters released for Alaska and Hawaii.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com