Election countdown: Ballot-tracking starts today

checkbox.jpgThe official Election Day – with vote-by-mail, it’s more like Voting-Ends Day – is two weeks from tomorrow. You should have received your ballot by now; if you have already mailed it back in or dropped it off, King County’s online ballot tracker will start reporting today on whether it’s been received (here’s where to check). And if you’re still researching who and what to vote for – remember there are two voter guides this year – online, you can find the King County guide here (or a custom version by entering your info on the right side of this page), while the state guide is here. Your ballot has to be either in a dropbox by 8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 2, or postmarked by that date (we’ll check when it gets closer, but last election there was one post office in the city that was postmarking up till midnight). One more voting note: For those with disabilities, the county’s accessible voting center at Elections HQ in Tukwila is now open, weekdays through Election Day – full details, hours, and location here.

26 Replies to "Election countdown: Ballot-tracking starts today"

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (3:43 pm)

    Well… I’m scared/proud to announce to all die hard liberals in WS, that I DID IT!!! I did vote for mr. Rossi today!!! Why? Why? Why?…am I so stupid? I can hear the chorus asking…Well, my friend DP did answer it best: “Sure, Senator/Representative XYZ isn’t doing what we want, but I’m voting for him anyway, because the other guy is so much worse.” That type of thinking is just not on our/my side!

  • Carson October 18, 2010 (4:07 pm)

    Baba,

    Politics would be boring if we all voted for the same person. At least you voted, so bravo!!! I don’t think anyone would call you stupid, you just have different values than others (me) here.

  • redblack October 18, 2010 (4:08 pm)

    you must be a millionaire. if elected, rossi won’t represent the working class.
    .
    btw, i just cancelled your vote by voting for murray.
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    :P

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (4:32 pm)

    redblack: your demonising of Rs, imho, has only adverse affects. If the race is divided roughly 50 /50 and there are 2% that are definitely RICH and for IT, then who are the other “roughly” 48%?
    .
    Like I said before I’m all about numbers…

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (5:01 pm)

    Crickets … … … … or dinner time???

  • Carson October 18, 2010 (5:09 pm)

    You don’t know who the other 48% are? That’s simple, they are the anti-choice, anti-family, anti-consumer former Moral Majority (minority).

  • foy boy October 18, 2010 (5:19 pm)

    Remember that if we keep taxing the rich they will just move out of the state. the rich are mobile. Just ask new york. they passed a large tax hike on the rich and the state lost over 200mil. The rich just moved to another state. And remember the poor don’t hire people the rich do.

  • Carson October 18, 2010 (5:26 pm)

    foy boy,

    Your point has a few flaws. Right now there are about 25 states that have overall lower taxes than WA. Why are the wealthy still here? Simple. They either have family ties here, they enjoy the quality of life here or work/businesses keep them here. Will higher taxes on the 2% cause them to move away? Perhaps a few, perhaps many, perhaps none. But one thing for sure, the right does a great job of selling this as a great scare tactic.

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (5:32 pm)

    Carson, so… to rephrase your ahswer/comment – it is a heck of a lot of Americans…., the way you , folks, keep talking here, the problem is only 2%??? Please look around.
    .
    I’m happy to see you chime in.

  • Carson October 18, 2010 (5:56 pm)

    Baba,

    The higher taxes we are speaking about, either the Bush tax cuts or 1098 will only affect the top 2%.

  • 34th Election Watcher October 18, 2010 (6:20 pm)

    Baba
    You voted for a candidate that is a whole lot worse? What kind of logic is that? No candidate does everything that we want. We vote for the one who best represents us and I guess the candidate who is a whole lot worse represents you.

  • 34th Election Watcher October 18, 2010 (6:40 pm)

    foy boy
    Where are the rich going to go? Washington is one of seven states without an income tax and the best deal of all for the rich. They pay only 2.7% of their income in state and local taxes while the poor pay 17% of their income.

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (6:46 pm)

    34th Election Watcher,
    Dino represents not just ME but 48%(possibly +) of our fellow state voters, yours and mine neighbours. Please, don’t single me out…

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (6:59 pm)

    I’m confused, are there 2% responsible for the problems of this country or 48%+?

  • Carson October 18, 2010 (8:38 pm)

    Baba,

    I am going to make a guess, English is not your first language? I am sure you are trying to make a point, but you are not getting through. Who blamed 2% or 48%? Slow down, proof read and use firefox (spell checker).

  • Just asking October 18, 2010 (9:03 pm)

    “The rich just moved to another state. And remember the poor donā€™t hire people the rich do.”

    Seriously? There are no rich people in NY State? And actually small business helps keep the U.S afloat so yes the poor(er) people do hire.

  • Baba October 18, 2010 (10:00 pm)

    Carson,
    What power do top 2% rich have in this country if they do not have support of 48%+ of population?
    .
    And yes, english is not my first language.How many languages do you speak? Are you native american?

  • Carson October 19, 2010 (5:56 am)

    Baba,

    You are not making any sense, sorry, its impossible to comment.

    No, I am not Native American, I am of Northern European Heritage, many times removed. I speak one language, only so-so, English

  • redblack October 19, 2010 (6:44 am)

    baba, sorry, sometimes i have other things to do. believe it or not, some days i don’t use the intertoobz at all!
    .
    “What power do top 2% rich have in this country if they do not have support of 48%+ of population?”
    .
    that’s exactly the point i’ve been trying to make. why anyone who isn’t rich (48% of republican’ts) would want to reward people who are offshoring our jobs and dodging taxes (the top 2%) is beyond me. they do have the power to carpet bomb the airwaves to get people to vote in their interest, though. but only an uninformed electorate does something like that.
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    don’t forget, though, that there are rich democrats, too. like bill gates, sr. why do you think he wrote I-1098?
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    here are some numbers for you and foy boy, though:
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    80% of americans work for small businesses. the owners of those small business average $80,000 – $140,000 in income. in other words, the rich do not employ us, by and large. we employ ourselves. the tax increases that you all are pooping your pants over – and which haven’t happened – don’t affect them. or you.
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    here are some more numbers: the median income in the u.s. is around $50,000. (i.e. half of the population makes less than that.) $50,000 is a stack of $100 bills about 2-3 inches tall. $1 million is a stack of bills about 3 feet high. $1 billion is a stack of bills one kilometer high. $1 trillion is 1000 kilometers high. does that help put things in perspective?
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    the top 2% have 90% of the nation’s wealth (trillions of dollars’ worth) and we’re trying to tax them accordingly. 90% of us have a little tiny stack of bills for a yearly income, and an only slightly larger stack for “wealth.”
    .
    it ain’t jealousy, kids. it’s about doing what’s right. the founding fathers wanted us to have the same rights and opportunities, rich or poor, and money shouldn’t buy elections or freedom from participating in keeping the country solvent.
    .
    don’t like the taxes in WA? great! don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

  • foy boy October 19, 2010 (9:54 am)

    The top 2 to 3% already pay over 40 plus% of this countries tax burden. How much more should they be pentilized for succes? Oh and by the way thier are 25 states that don’t have a higher tax rate for being succseful. Maybe florida alot more sun shine.

  • Carson October 19, 2010 (10:19 am)

    foy boy,

    U-hauls are cheap, houses in West Seattle are expensive, you can get lots of house in Florida, why do you think more from here are not moving there?

    As for your top 2-3%, you seem to have missed a few key number. The top 2% hold 80% of the wealth. So using your flawed numbers, the top 80% of earners from an income point only pay 40% of the taxes.

    Let me know when you need help packing.

  • Baba October 19, 2010 (11:26 am)

    redblack, thank you for using metric system in your little visual presentation. I do appreciate the effort. ;-)
    .
    You say all the right things, but, like i told you before, you idealize everything. Typical die hard liberal/democrat approach… Take much talked about offshoring of our jobs. It’s always Rs fault, rich bastards fault…How about it being YOUR falt, as a consumer. You and I want to purchase everything as cheap as possible and as often as possible. It’s human nature, it’s called market forces. And there is nothing Big Gov. can do about it…Every time a local business closes there is always an outcry, WHY? I should’ve shopped there…Why didn’t you? Because it’s cheaper at Walmart.
    .
    Whould you buy E.WASH. Apples for $5 a pound? and how often? Because that is what it will cost at the store if americans will be working to grow and pick them for $20a/h + benefits.
    .
    Folks, all my $ numbers are for example purposes only, please don’t pick on them, pick on my Opinion.

  • foy boy October 19, 2010 (2:03 pm)

    Dear carson It sounds like your a taker rather then a giver. You could take all the money the top 2 to 3%s make and it would only be enough to run this country for maybe 6 months. And do you think it fare that someone who makes more then 400thou a year should pay more in taxes then maybe you and I make a year. These are the people that keep our museums open,donate more to charities,donate to the UW, employ private schools,keep contrators working on remodels,take vacations,which keep people in the tourist busnises working. This whole thing sounds like class warfare. You know, you got yours and you owe it to me. So you see you have takers and givers. If I could aford to move to fla. I mite think about it. Because I hate to think you are on the other end of my tax dollar.

  • mar3c October 19, 2010 (8:05 pm)

    baba: again, that’s your nature, not mine.
    .
    i don’t shop at wal-mart specifically for that reason. i don’t eat at mcdonald’s. whenever i have the choice, i buy local goods. i screen contractors for their hiring practices. i don’t pay the guys standing in front of home depot to help me do jobs that i can damn well do myself, or that i should hire out to professionals.
    .
    yes, i will buy locally-grown apples, no matter the cost. but i would prefer to see a sticker on those apples that says that those orchards only employ documented or american workers and that they’re paid decent wages.
    .
    but you should also know that because of the downturn – and to save money – i’m growing more of my own food on what little urban patch of ground i have. i’ll do that before buying cheap foreign crap any day of the week.
    .
    i’m sorry, but you can’t claim “america first” and then shop at wal-mart just to save a buck. it’s contradictory.

  • mar3c October 19, 2010 (8:11 pm)

    foy boy, the top 2-3% pay around 40% of the nation’s tax receipts because they have 40% of the nation’s income. the top 1% has 23% of the nation’s income. it’s based on percentages. it’s called progressive taxation.
    .
    look it up.
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    even if there was a flat tax, the top 2-3% would still pay 40% of the nation’s tax receipts. because they’d still have 40% of the nation’s income.
    .
    if i have to say this many more times, i’m going to be forced to hurt someone’s feelings.

  • redblack October 19, 2010 (8:14 pm)

    not sure why my comp reverted to my old handle.
    .
    but mar3c = redblack.

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