For three West Seattleites, it’s a big Election Night.

Top of the list is the only one who was having an official party in West Seattle – King County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Mitzi Johanknecht. We arrived at her event at the John L. Scott building in The Junction just after King County released its first and only set of results for the night, showing her with a lead of almost 10,000 votes over incumbent Sheriff John Urquhart. The candidate and her wife Maureen were beaming:

The “for” on Mitzi For Sheriff signs and buttons was covered with stickers reading “is”:

And the candidate spoke, with messages for constituents and colleagues:

With many votes left to be counted, some candidates might not be ready to immediately look forward, but the news for the incumbent has been not so good lately, to say the least, and it’s hard to imagine late voters turning his way, but it’s not over until it’s over …

… unless you have a huge lead already, as is the case for the other West Seattleite on the ballot for countywide office. Dow Constantine has won a third 4-year term as King County Executive, the second consecutive election in which he has had only nominal opposition.

And on the city ballot, Councilmember Lorena González has won her first 4-year term, two years after being elected to citywide Position 9:

West Seattle is also home to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who is midway through her first 4-year term serving District 1 (WS and South Park), and County Council Chair Joe McDermott, who is midway through his current 4-year term. He also had cause to celebrate tonight, as he advocated strongly for King County Proposition 1, which was approved by a wide margin.

The first count is in, and here’s a quick look at who’s ahead:

SEATTLE MAYOR
Jenny Durkan – 64,174 – 60.62%
Cary Moon – 41,683 – 39.38%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8
Teresa Mosqueda – 61,117 – 61.51%
Jon Grant – 38,241 – 38.49%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 9
M. Lorena González* – 67,409 – 67.68%
Pat Murakami – 32,188 – 32.32%

(Added: At left, West Seattleite Mitzi Johanknecht, after first results showed her winning KC Sheriff race – separate story to come)

KING COUNTY SHERIFF
Mitzi Johanknecht – 139,644 – 51.84%
John Urquhart* – 129,725 – 48.16%

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Dow Constantine* – 204,217 – 75.4%
Bill Hirt – 66,629 – 24.6%

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 1
John Creighton* – 129,039 – 51.48%
Ryan Calkins – 121,621 – 48.52%

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 3
Stephanie Bowman* – 169,277 – 66.79%
Ahmed Abdi – 84,159 – 33.21%

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 4
Peter Steinbrueck – 159,683 – 62.88%
Preeti Shridhar – 94,284 – 37.12%

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4
Eden Mack – 81,337 – 85.97%
Herbert J. Camet, Jr. – 13,271 – 14.03%

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 5
Zachary Pullin DeWolf – 57,940 – 61.17%
Omar Vasquez – 36,775 – 38.83%

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 7
Betty Patu – 60,869 – 64.11%
Chelsea Byers – 34,074 – 35.89%

KING COUNTY PROPOSITION 1 (Levy Lid Lift for Veterans, Seniors and Vulnerable Populations)
Approved – 185,133 – 66.06%
Rejected – 95,106 – 33.94%

SEATTLE CITY ATTORNEY
Pete Holmes* – 72,003 – 72.81%
Scott Lindsay – 26,895 – 27.19%

Again, full list of first-night resuls here.

We found Patti, Liz, and their canine companions at the White Center Library ballot dropbox late this afternoon. Also there, volunteers from the White Center Community Development Association, cheering for everyone who brought in their ballot. That dropbox at 1409 SW 107th might be closer to you if you’re in south West Seattle; otherwise, the only dropbox in WS is at the High Point Library, 3411 SW Raymond – and note that with the 8 pm deadline approaching, it’s likely to be busy (things were picking up when we passed by around dusk), so don’t rush out of the house at 7:55 pm and think you’ll beat the deadline. Your alternative to the dropboxes is the U.S. Mail, but make sure it’ll be postmarked tonight – look for pickup times on the mailbox, or walk it into a Post Office lobby (Westwood or The Junction). Lost your ballot and/or envelope? You can print out a replacement. Looking for last-minute candidate info? Links are in the reminder we published last night. First results are due by about 8:15 pm – we’ll have an update here on WSB.

The next list of possible city-budget changes is out tonight – in advance of a discussion with the full City Council (meeting as the Select Budget Committee) tomorrow morning – and there are some items of West Seattle interest.

These two are proposed by our area’s Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who is chairing the budget committee this year:

‘SPD ENFORCEMENT OF VEHICLE NOISE AND CRUISING ON ALKI’: That’s the title for the budget proposal spelled out in this document, though it doesn’t actually order or fund enforcement – it would order this:

By February 23, 2018, the Seattle Police Department is requested to submit a report to the Councilmember representing Council District 1, the Chair of the Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans Committee, and Council Central Staff Director on SPD’s enforcement policies and practices with respect to vehicle noise and cruising in the Alki neighborhood during the warm-weather months.

This was teed up by the recently announced results of this survey. The report would also be required to include “identification of and consideration of emerging technological approaches to vehicle noise
enforcement,” possibly a reference to something proprietary that’s being worked on by an entity including a citizen who made repeat appearances at local community-council meetings over the past year-plus. The proposal also notes that Fauntleroy also deals with vehicle noise issues, and that this report should address “how approaches to noise and cruising enforcement” could be applied there and elsewhere, too.

‘AMEND THE DELRIDGE MULTIMODAL CORRIDOR PROJECT CIP … AND IMPOSE A PROVISO’: This one is more-bureaucratic, as the title suggests. You can read it here. It would put a spending lid on the Delridge Multimodal Corridor Project, which is currently largely focused on the Metro Route 120 conversion to RapidRide H, until a council committee sees its 10 percent design and then passes an ordinance to lift that lid.

Speaking of Delridge RapidRide:

‘IMPLEMENTATION OF MOVE SEATTLE BRT CORRIDORS’: This one (read it here) would ask SDOT to report by next July on ways to make sure Delridge RapidRide and the six other “bus rapid transit” projects in the works happen, despite “the uncertainty with federal transportation funding under the current administration.” Councilmember Mike O’Brien is proposing it.

Not West Seattle-specific but also of interest:

‘AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT OF BLOCK-THE-BOX AND TRANSIT-ONLY LANE VIOLATIONS’: The latter comes up often in WSB comment discussion – suggestions for cameras to catch bus-lane violators. This proposal (read it here), also from Councilmember O’Brien, would require SDOT to report by next March on what it might take to implement them, as well as cameras to enforce “block-the-box” intersection violations.

HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE: A variety of proposals are on Tuesday’s list of possible changes, including:
–Add $1.2 million for four more authorized encampments (locations not specified), proposed by Councilmember Kirsten Harris-Talley
–Add $450,000 for two more authorized encampments (“one in each Council District that does not currently contain an authorized encampment”), proposed by Councilmember Kshama Sawant
–Proviso on “unauthorized encampment removals in certain areas,” also from Councilmember Sawant. This would basically prohibit removals “except when the persons or property are on school property, active rights-of-way including sidewalks and stairways, activated park spaces, City utility rights-of way, or controlled-access areas of City-owned property, or unless authorized by future ordinance.”
-“Proviso on unauthorized encampment removals,” from Councilmember Herbold. This includes various provisions to ensure that removals follow the laid-out rules for prioritization, including:

(1) Objective hazards such as moving vehicles;
(2) Criminal activity beyond illegal substance abuse;
(3) Quantities of garbage, debris, or waste;
(4) Other active health hazards to occupants or the surrounding neighborhood;
(5) Difficulty in extending emergency services to the site;
(6) Imminent work scheduled at the site for which the encampment will pose an obstruction;
(7) Damage to the natural environment of environmentally critical areas; and
(8) The proximity of homeless individuals to uses of special concern including schools or facilities for
the elderly.

And there’s much more in the 50+ proposed changes – some of which will likely get big citywide scrutiny – these are just a few of the items that caught our eye. The discussions start at 9:30 am Tuesday, and will continue in a 2 pm session; if you have something to say and can get down to City Hall (600 4th Ave.), there are public-comment periods in both. You can e-mail council@seattle.gov too. And if you just want to watch/listen from wherever you are, it’ll all be live on seattlechannel.org (and cable channel 21).

(WSB photo – High Point ballot dropbox, around 6 pm tonight)

If you haven’t voted yet – you have 24 1/2 hours left. Tomorrow is Election Day, aka “voting deadline day” – you have to get your ballot to a dropbox by 8 pm Tuesday, or if you’re mailing it, be sure it’ll be postmarked Tuesday (or today). More than 80 percent of Seattle voters’ ballots had NOT been turned in as of midday today, according to the county Elections Department. So here’s what you need to know:

WHERE TO VOTE: The full list of ballot dropboxes around King County is here. West Seattle’s dropbox is outside High Point Library, on SW Raymond just east of 35th SW [map]; there’s also one outside the White Center Library, 1409 SW 107th [map]. Other ways to vote are detailed here.

WHAT/WHO’S ON THE BALLOT: Here’s what and who you will find on your ballot (each link below takes you to more information about the measure/candidate).

*One countywide ballot measure – King County Proposition 1, formally titled “Levy Lid Lift for Veterans, Seniors and Vulnerable Populations.”

*King County Executive – Dow Constantine*, Bill Hirt

*King County Sheriff – Mitzi Johanknecht, John Urquhart*

*Seattle Mayor – Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon
(Undecided? Our coverage of their two recent West Seattle forums, with video, is here and here)

*Seattle City Council Position 8 (citywide) – Jon Grant, Teresa Mosqueda

*Seattle City Council Position 9 (citywide) – M. Lorena González*, Pat Murakami

*Seattle City Attorney – Pete Holmes*, Scott Lindsay

*Seattle Port Commission Position 1 – Ryan Calkins, John Creighton*

*Seattle Port Commission Position 3 – Ahmed Abdi, Stephanie Bowman*

*Seattle Port Commission Position 4 – Preeti Shridhar, Peter Steinbrueck

*Seattle Public Schools director, District 4 (citywide vote) – Herbert J. Camet, Jr., Eden Mack

*Seattle Public Schools director, District 5 (citywide vote) – Zachary Pullin DeWolf, Omar Vasquez

*Seattle Public Schools director, District 7 (citywide vote) – Chelsea Byers, Betty Patu*

*Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1, Judge Position 2 – Michael S. Spearman*, Nathan W.S. Choi

*State Advisory Vote 16

*State Advisory Vote 17

*State Advisory Vote 18

Once you’ve voted – track your ballot here. And tomorrow, watch for the first round of results around 8:15 pm.

P.S. As noted in a comment, we forgot to include this link – if you need a replacement ballot and/or envelope – yours got lost, or damaged, or didn’t arrive – here’s what to do.