32 Replies to "ELECTION 2023: Second-day results for Seattle City Council District 1"

• Quiz August 2, 2023 (4:51 pm)

  I’d anticipate the majority of Tavel’s votes going to Saka in the general election. Not sure about the other candidate’s voters.

  • tBD August 2, 2023 (5:33 pm)

    Agree, it was tough to decide between the two of them.

  • wsres August 2, 2023 (6:25 pm)

    I disagree. I voted for Tavel, but my second choice was Costa.

  • Mom August 2, 2023 (11:33 pm)

    Anecdotal, but I voted for Tavel and will switch to Saka if Tavel falls off. I was pretty torn between them. So your theory holds for me

• Rhonda August 2, 2023 (6:06 pm)

  Our family voted for Tavel but Saka is a good man. We’ll be more than happy to support him between now and the General Election.

  • WS resident August 2, 2023 (11:55 pm)

    I look forward to seeing Saka in office. He seems to have what it takes to be a real leader for D1.

• James August 2, 2023 (6:37 pm)

  This is so good. I love Costa. Best candidate by far!!!

• Curious August 2, 2023 (6:44 pm)

  Just curious can someone explain why it takes this long for the votes to be counted? Based on my math there is less than 20 thousand votes counted. In the last presidential election Florida had the votes counted on the same night as the election and that was millions of votes. I’d have more confidence in the legitimacy of our elections if they were more efficient. I’d understand if it were a hand count but this is all supposed to be automated correct? 

  • WSB August 2, 2023 (6:54 pm)

    Signatures have to be verified, for one thing.

  • RB August 2, 2023 (8:51 pm)

    As a former elections professional, here’s the reason: When your ballot is received, KC Elections scans it in to mark it as received, then sends it to signature verification. A human looks at your signature on file and compares it to the one on your envelope. After your signature is verified, the envelope is opened and then your ballot goes on to be inspected to make sure it can be read by the scanner and ensure it doesn’t have anything sticky on it that would mess up the scanners (again, by humans). Then it’s scanned and tabulated. Results are generally released once a day in the days following the election.  Ballots are coming in from drop boxes and the mail, and as long as your ballot was postmarked by Election Day and arrives before the election results are certified, it’s able to be counted. The day after the election (today), they are likely processing a huge influx of ballots from the drop boxes and the mail—sometimes 40-50% of ballots are received on election day.In places that still have polling centers (like Florida), they verify your ID when you arrive, then you vote. They upload the memory cards from the voting equipment at the end of the night to the central count. They likely have different rules for ballots and when they have to arrive in order to be considered timely, which is why their results are “faster.”We could all help with faster election results here if we voted and returned our ballots early instead of waiting until Election Day. You can view the whole ballot processing cycle at the King County Elections office in Renton. There’s a public loop around the top of the building that allows you to view all parts of the process if you’re curious. 

    • Curious August 2, 2023 (10:10 pm)

      Thanks for your detailed explanation much appreciated! Based on what you said I would definitely prefer the way Florida does elections. Seems like less shenanigans and faster results

      • Jort August 2, 2023 (11:17 pm)

        Florida also has lower voter turnout. I am proud to live in a state where more people have access to voting, and I’m more than willing to be patient and wait for the process to work in order to provide greater opportunities for participation in democracy. Having to wait a few days doesn’t change the outcome.  

      • David Kerlick August 3, 2023 (8:12 am)

        Shenanigans! Remember “hanging chads” in 2000? Nowadays,  in the Confederate State of Florida, if you aren’t an able-bodied white Christian in a MAGA county, you might expect harassment and long lines. 

    • Canton August 2, 2023 (10:36 pm)

      Thank you for the explanation of the process. Appreciate the detail. 1 question. Are the memory cards a detachable device( like in cameras), or a transfer between hard drives?

      • CAM August 3, 2023 (7:57 am)

        Given the question Canton asks I am not posting this in response to them. I am posting it to clarify that this question is based in conspiracy theories driven by the former president and his employees for which behaviors he was just indicted this week and other people who have spread these lies have been forced to pay large civil fines. 

        https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-voting-donald-trump-campaigns-46c9cf208687636b8eaa1864c35ab300

    • Eric B August 3, 2023 (8:57 am)

      A year ago I was traveling in the week right before an election.  I delayed, finally voted and dropped my ballot off in Charlotte NC on election day. It was postmarked on election day so it was a valid vote.  But KC elections didnt receive it until several days after the election.  I was grateful that they counted my vote and understand that in exchange for this flexibility we need to wait for more results.  I know that for some expediency is satisfying, but I personally believe in the value of a democratic system that allows as many people to vote as possible – including me, when I procrastinate.  I only wish that more than 30% of people would participate, although that does make my vote count more!

  • SpencerGT August 2, 2023 (10:05 pm)

    I assume that Florida has more people working elections than Seattle.

• SafetyFirst August 2, 2023 (7:54 pm)

  Which candidate is the toughest on crime? And, any reason why that candidate would not win in our district? Seems like everyone (rightfully) has a lot to say about crime until it’s actually voting day. Then, the self induced pressure telling ourselves “but I am super progressive” takes over. Oh well. Maybe next time voters will address crime more seriously. Or, maybe the number of stolen cars per week has not hit a tipping point yet?

  • WSB August 2, 2023 (8:18 pm)

    In the first forum with all 8 candidates, which we presented, with questions from readers as well as the neighborhood coalition that collaborated with us, one question was “are you the ‘law and order’ candidate?” That was the 10th question (the ninth and 11th also had to do with crime/law enforcement(
    https://westseattleblog.com/2023/06/video-first-forum-with-all-8-seattle-city-council-district-1-candidates/

• Danimal August 2, 2023 (8:18 pm)

  Hey Jort, we’re still waiting for your response to Phil Tavel’s heartfelt, honest, and thoughtful response and question regarding your disrespectful and deeply spiteful comment about him in the initial thread. Be a man and respond to him, otherwise anything you say henceforth on this blog is utterly meaningless, since you’re coming from a place of spite and hate while claiming to be white knighting for “causes.”

  • Being a woman August 3, 2023 (12:05 pm)

    People can leave a conversation whenever they want, it is not a homework assignment.

    • Jgreene August 3, 2023 (1:09 pm)

      Sure people are free to leave a conversation, but not responding to the actual person they’ve been mocking on this blog (see Phil Tavel’s unanswered response to in the previous comment thread)? Well, that speaks louder than any response 

  • Jort August 3, 2023 (12:58 pm)

    As is so often the case on this very fine blog, my comments somehow turn into a conversation about me, personally, which is both boring and uninteresting. While I am sure that Phil is, by all accounts, an amiable guy well-beloved by a group of like-minded people, the fact remains that he is wildly out of touch with the voters and priorities of this district, and elections have proven this out many, many times. The fact that this pattern keeps repeating itself over and over again, yet causes absolutely zero self-reflection from the blog commentariat, neighborhood associations and merchant groups that unfailingly support his perennially failing campaigns is, indeed, something to poke fun at. We are bombarded, constantly – by the Seattle Times, right-wing media and internet comments sections – with the story of societal collapse, doom and gloom, of this beautiful, wealthy city being “literally destroyed,” of how “out of touch” the “clowncil” is with reality. Reality is also votes, yet the losing end of those votes trots out the same candidates and doomer-ism every single campaign. And then they lose. I would love, very much love, for Tavel’s indignant supporters to engage in the self-reflection that should come after repeated, bruising losses. You can blame voters, you can get mad at Jort, but really: Phil Tavel’s support base is not in touch with the reality of the issues facing actual voters who cast actual votes, which means Phil Tavel will not win today or any time in the future. It’s not like people aren’t hearing about all the problems in the city, day in and day out. We hear it all the time. Simply put, voters disagree with Phil’s ideas. And those voters are what matters. Not your yard signs and not your internet comments.

    • Phillip tavel August 4, 2023 (9:12 am)

      Jort…thanks for the response. I understand where you’re coming from, and that helps. However, I will point out that 1/5 of all the votes were for me and my “wildly out of touch ideas.” Democracy is about representation, and I think it’s clear that I actually do represent a large segment of the people that live here. I support business, because I want it to thrive. I want people who commit crimes against other people to be held accountable for their actions, and if there are root causes for that criminal behavior that are tied to poverty, substance abuse or mental health issues I want those people to get the help and support they need to have a better life; one that doesn’t involve victimizing other people. I don’t want people to live in RVs on the side of the road, because nobody should be forced to live like that, and if your using it as a cover to commit crimes you shouldn’t be allowed to do that. I want to move Seattle towards being carbon neutral. I want permitting in this city to be easier for people to build businesses and housing. I want sidewalks that are safe, well lit and functional so that people with mobility issues can still get around. I want crosswalks in all the places that should have them. I want speed bumps and speeding cameras to slow down racers and reckless drivers. I want people to have living wage jobs that allow them to live in the communities they work. I want less regressive taxes that stop making life more expensive for people already living paycheck to paycheck. I want the city held accountable when it screws up and I want people celebrated when they do great things for others and make sacrifices for the greater good. These aren’t tone deaf ideals, or out of touch. And coming in 3rd out of 8 is not a “bruising loss.” Some people feel that they don’t recognize the Seattle that they grew up in, so why are they bad people for feeling that way? It seems like you are shaming them for how they feel. I’ll leave it at that. But you should consider giving a little more grace to the people around you. We all live in the same city.

  • heartless August 3, 2023 (1:55 pm)

    Danimal–can I just chime in.  You reference Jort’s “disrespectful and deeply spiteful comment” about Tavel.  Do you mean the comment about how he’s lost numerous times?  Or that Jort finds it funny he lists trivia host among his merits?  Which of those is so deeply spiteful? 

    I don’t know if you’re new to the comments section, but for you–and for everyone rushing to Tavel’s defense–let’s review some comments about Lisa Herbold from this very comment section over the years.  It’ll be fun!

    From the comments section about the August 2019 election, she was called a “horrible, horrible moron”

    From the comments section about her decision not to run again, she was called a “hypocrite,” a “disaster” and a “a weak, unthoughtful, and ineffective representative.”  Someone wrote that Lisa Herbold  “is a truly despicable person,” and guess how many commenters took issue with that?  Not a one.

    All you sensitive souls, who simply can’t believe anyone would dare make fun of Tavel for regularly losing, who whine and moan about the lack of civility–why is it you remain so very silent when someone else was called a moron, called despicable, etc., etc?  I’m sure you have your reasons.

    • Life Long West Seattle August 3, 2023 (3:00 pm)

      Thank you Heartless for speaking up about this deeply hypocritical comment section. Sadly this ask for civility only applies for their candidate. (I don’t think Jort was being uncivil)For some reason I can never stop reading this wild comment section.

  • commentariat August 3, 2023 (2:21 pm)

    I’m for JORT!
    I feel JORT’s comments are a thoughtful alternative to many of the comments. 
    JORT is also an anonymous commenter who appears to follow all of the rules of conduct on WSBlog. 
    I imagine JORT read and reads the slew of comments generated, many of them personally insulting and some taunting like “be a man and respond,” go beyond.
    JORT abides!

  • K August 3, 2023 (5:06 pm)

    I mean, I understand it takes a lot to run for office and I respect that, but I have a tough time mustering a well of sympathy for Tavel when a contributing factor to his losses is his refusal to publicly disavow local hate group Safe Seattle, or members of its leadership he’s been friendly with in the past.  Perhaps if Tavel were as eager to have meaningful dialogue with the marginalized groups that Safe Seattle targets as he is with some random guy on the WSBlog Comments page who insulted him, he’d be a more viable candidate.  Public service is good, but doesn’t wash away association with hate groups.  It’s not a complicated situation, and it’s not a lack of appreciation for that service that made Tavel leave a bitter taste in the mouths of so many.  He’s probably the most divisive city council candidate we’ve had after Sawant.

• wheeee August 2, 2023 (11:18 pm)

  If you vote for the harrell rubber stamper/toadie saka, shame on you. You don’t want a better Seattle.

• Scarlett August 3, 2023 (8:32 am)

  Election processes are secure and transparent in every state, whether blue or red.  There are many safeguards to prevent ballot tampering and the public is allowed to watch the process in action. I’ve worked elections in several states, from registration to ballot counting, and the staff and volunteers are invariably conscientious and professional.  Reality is much more boring and routine than some might imagine.   

• JEff August 3, 2023 (8:42 am)

  Which candidate has the most compassion for the poor? Screw filling jails with people, I want actual compassion-based solutions. Not more Davisons/Harrells. 

  • HappyCamper August 3, 2023 (12:11 pm)

    Compassion and basic guidelines for acceptable human behavior can coexist. We can definitely have both, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Sorry, comment time is over.