USPS just delivered the 111-page voters’ pamphlet for the general election, a reminder that voting begins in a week. King County Elections starts sending ballots next Wednesday (October 16); KCE ballot dropboxes open next Thursday (October 17). Here’s the list of what will be on your ballot:

RACES WITH CANDIDATES (click that link for the lists with links to candidate info)

US President & Vice President (10 options)
U.S. Senator (2 candidates)
Congressional District 7, U.S. Representative (2 candidates)
Washington State, Governor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Lt. Governor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Secretary of State (2 candidates)
Washington State, State Treasurer (2 candidates)
Washington State, State Auditor (2 candidates)
Washington State, Attorney General (2 candidates)
Washington State, Commissioner of Public Lands (2 candidates)
Washington State, Superintendent of Public Instruction (2 candidates)
Washington State, Insurance Commissioner (2 candidates)
Legislative District 34, State Representative Pos. 1 (2 candidates)
Legislative District 34, State Representative Pos. 2 (2 candidates)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 2 (2 candidates)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 8 (1 candidate)
State Supreme Court, Justice Position No. 9 (1 candidate)
State Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1 Judge Position No. 4 (1 candidate)
State Court of Appeals, Division 1, District 1 Judge Position No. 7 (1 candidate)
King County Superior Court, Judge Position 41 (2 candidates)
City of Seattle, Council Position No. 8 (2 candidates)

BALLOT MEASURES (click that link for the lists with links to measure info – the very short descriptions below are from that page)

State Initiative Measure No. 2066 (regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification)

State Initiative Measure No. 2109 (taxes)

State Initiative Measure No. 2117 (carbon-tax-credit trading)

State Initiative Measure No. 2124 (state longterm-care insurance)

City of Seattle Proposition No. 1 (property tax levy renewal for transportation)

So, you have 26 decisions to make on your ballot. We’ll take closer looks at the local races and issues in the days ahead.

Those two Seattle Channel videos show City Councilmembers getting an overview of Mayor Harrell‘s $8.3 billion 2025-2026 budget proposal on Wednesday. Starting at 9:30 this morning, they move into the next phase, department-by-department presentations of budget highlights. We’ve been scanning the budget (the entire 735-page document is here) for items of note, particularly West Seattle-specific, and here’s what we’ve found so far:

The majority of references to “West Seattle” are in the context of planning for light rail, since the city is involved with station-area planning. This includes mentions in the individual budgets for SDOT, the Office of Planning and Community Development, and the Office of Sustainability and Environment. Then there’s a mention of the West Seattle Golf Course in the Parks and Recreation budget, which includes an increase in the total amount to be spent on the city’s four golf courses ($18 million next year, up from $14 million this year). The only mentions of “Delridge” also are in the context of light-rail station planning.

We also looked for “Southwest” references, and those were primarily in the Seattle Police proposal. The Southwest Precinct, which serves West Seattle and South Park, has a general fund allocation of $15 million this year, and that would rise to $17 million next year. The document doesn’t break down where the increase is going; staffing would stay the same, 102 full-time equivalents (FTEs), as usual the smallest staff of the precincts.

Obviously it doesn’t take a West Seattle-specific mention for our area to be affected. Individual departments also have released toplines, and the items we noted included a proposal for graffiti response to move from Seattle Public Utilities to Seattle Parks and Recreation (whose toplines are here including proposed fee increases for next year), and a proposal for the Department of Neighborhoods to offer fewer community grants. The SDOT budget overview notes that the department’s plan only addresses general-fund spending, not the funding that would result if the Transportation Levy renewal/expansion is approved by voters in November.

If you’re interested in specific departments’ plans, here’s the schedule for department-by-department presentations:

TODAY (agenda): Arts and Culture (slide deck), Economic Development (slide deck), Planning and Community Development (slide deck), Construction and Inspections (slide deck)

MONDAY (September 30): Sustainability and Environment, Parks and Recreation, SDOT, Education and Early Learning

TUESDAY (October 1): CARE, Police, Human Services

WEDNESDAY (October 2): Housing, Finance and Administrative Services, Human Resources, IT

Councilmember Dan Strauss is this year’s budget chair; he warned his colleagues that these would be full-day meetings (starting at 9:30 pm, with lunch breaks in the 1-2 pm vicinity). Other council committee meetings are pre-empted by budget meetings. You can see agendas here and watch meetings live (or archived) via Seattle Channel. Budget documents are all here, including individual-department breakouts.

TIMELINE: The council’s budget review and decisions will unfold over the next two months, with a final decision scheduled for November 21. Official public hearings are planned for October 16 and November 12. The council’s explanation of how you can participate in the budget process is here.

(Reader photo after Harbor Avenue shootings in June)

“The lawlessness on Alki and Harbor Avenue … has to stop.”

District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka made that declaration at this morning’s meeting of the council’s Public Safety Committee, as he proposed an addition to the bill authorizing a Seattle Police surveillance-camera pilot program currently only intended for other areas of the city (explained here). Members of the committee – for which Saka serves as vice-chair – also heard from Alki/Harbor residents including Steve Pumphrey, who spoke of the “clear and present danger” of ongoing disorder in the beach area, including unsolved shooting deaths such as the killing of 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara in June; gunfire that night also pierced the walls and windows of nearby residences including his (photo above). Committee members unanimously approved Saka’s amendment, which added this language (updated 8:18 pm with second sentence added in final version of amendment):

The Seattle Police Department shall, as part of the planned outcome evaluation of the Closed-Circuit Television Camera Systems pilot project, conduct a study reporting on the appropriateness, feasibility, and cost of additional potential future Closed-Circuit Television Camera deployments in areas of the city beyond those in the current pilot project, including but not limited to the Alki and Harbor Avenue areas of West Seattle. This study shall also evaluate the potential use of Closed-Circuit Television Cameras for a range of public safety concerns beyond those specific crimes identified in the SIR for purposes of the pilot.

That potential camera program is different from the possible cameras discussed by the previous council in relation to street racing, authorized but to date not funded. Today’s amendment authorizes only a study, not (yet) cameras, which the pilot will only place in four areas – downtown, Aurora, Belltown, and Chinatown/ID. The proposal goes to the full council for final approval. (Seattle Channel has just posted video of this morning’s meeting here.)

BACKSTORY: The camera-study commitment comes three months after Saka hosted an Alki community meeting about the public-safety crisis; most of the action taken since then has involved speed-cushion installation.

8:08 PM: Tuesday (September 10) brings the first and likely only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Several readers have asked us whether any place in West Seattle is planning a public debate-watching event. We haven’t heard of any, so we’re asking you if you have. It’s at 6 pm our time Tuesday, in Philadelphia, produced by ABC News. If you know of any events, please comment below (or email us, westseattleblog@gmail.com) – thank you!

8:50 PM: We’re changing the headline to “who else is …” because we’ve had our first reply: West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor) and almost-neighbor Good Society are co-presenting a watch party, at the brewpub (California/Lander).

Final results are in for the one loose end from the August primary – the by-hand recount required for state Commissioner of Public Lands race, because the original count had the second- and third-place candidates only 51 votes apart. Final recount results, certified today, didn’t change the top two – the November 5 election will be between Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, a former U.S. House Rep. from southwestern Washington, and Democrat Dave Upthegrove, a King County Councilmember from Des Moines. The recount changed the margin between Upthegrove and Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson by only two votes, so they finished 49 votes apart. The Commissioner of Public Lands position is open because two-term incumbent Hilary Franz decided to run for Congress in District 6; she finished that primary in third place. General-election ballots will start arriving in mailboxes around October 18, a little over six weeks away.

Your ballot for the November 5 election will arrive in less than seven weeks. After a post-primary lull, it’s time to start up the pre-general election coverage.

‘WEST SEATTLE ANSWERS THE CALL’: This past Monday night, 200 local supporters of the Democratic presidential ticket gathered for one of the biggest local political fundraisers we’ve heard of in a while – probably the biggest one since the candidate herself spent an hour in West Seattle three months ago.

Co-hosts Amy Daly-Donovan and Laurie Reinhardt sent photos from the event, titled “West Seattle Answers the Call,” held at a West Seattle home. Speakers included King County Executive Dow Constantine, 34th District State Rep. and House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, and statewide Coordinated Campaign Director Christina Carvalho.

The organizers say, “There was so much good energy and camaraderie in the air.” They report the event raised more than $45,000 to support the presidential campaign as well as other Democratic races. They also noted interest in the yard signs, adding, “we purchased them from signsofjustice.com, a Portland-based, Black-owned business with great service and excellent quality!”

RECOUNT: One statewide race on the November ballot has yet to be finalized – State Commissioner of Public Lands, in which Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler finished in undisputed first place, but Democrat Dave Upthegrove was only 51 votes – a thousandth of a percent – ahead of Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson. That mandated a hand recount, and election offices around the state have been conducting theirs, with most reported to have finished but not yet certified. The biggest, King County, started last Monday and will certify results on Wednesday morning (September 4).

ENCOURAGING YOUNGER VOTERS: One week from today, 10 am-1 pm September 7th, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) will host a watch party for a YWCA-presented nonpartisan national town hall focused on Gen Z women voting, though all are welcome to attend. Our calendar listing has details; organizers of the event, which will be streamed from Philadelphia, say they’ve invited the presidential candidates too but haven’t yet received confirmations. (UPDATE: DNDA says this is canceled for lack of RSVPs.)

The August 6 primary election’s results were finalized and certified by counties around the state today. The top two candidates in each race will be on the November 5 ballot. Just one race remains unsettled …State Lands Commissioner is headed for a recount, because the second-place finisher is only 51 votes ahead of the third-place candidate.

State Commissioner of Public Lands
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 419,297 – 22.03%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 396,300 – 20.82%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 396,249 – 20.82%
Patrick DePoe (D) – 267,924 – 14.08%
Allen Lebovitz (D) – 194,114 – 10.2%
Kevin Van De Wege (D) – 143,170 – 7.52%
Jeralee Anderson (D) – 84,351 – 4.43%
Write-in – 1,668 – 0.09%

A by-hand recount is required; The Seattle Times reports that the Secretary of State will set a deadline this Thursday for counties to have theirs complete. Meantime, you can find all the state results here.

For King County, here’s the full final list of results, including that one Seattle City Council race, citywide Position 8. Whoever wins serves just a year before the election next year for a full four-year term.

Seattle City Council Position 8 (43% turnout)
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 99,394 – 50.18%
Tanya Woo – 76,008 – 38.38%
Saunatina Sanchez – 8,621 – 4.35%
Tariq Yusuf – 7,521 – 3.80%
Saul Patu – 5,958 – 3.01%
Write-in – 554 – 0.28%

Here’s how the primary race for our area’s U.S. House seat turned out:

U.S. House District 7 (44% turnout)
Pramila Jayapal* (D) – 174,019 – 79.86%
Dan Alexander (R) – 16,902 – 7.76%
Liz Hallock (D) – 16,494 – 7.57%
Cliff Moon (R) – 10,070 – 4.62%
Write-in – 409 – 0.19%

Though our area’s two State House seats had only two candidates each, they had to be on the primary ballot too:

34th District State House Position 1 (43% turnout)
Emily Alvarado* (D) – 37,901 – 86.46%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,848 – 13.34%
Write-in – 86 – 0.20%

34th District State House Position 2 (43% turnout)
Joe Fitzgibbon* (D) – 37,571 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,398 – 14.54%
Write-in – 47 – 0.11%

November 5 is the deadline for general-election voting; you’ll get your ballot about three weeks in advance. Not registered yet? You can do that online – go here.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In a month with few community meetings, our area’s biggest political organization met to celebrate results of the last election, look ahead to the next one, and hear from current officeholders.

The 34th District Democrats‘ endorsed candidates fared well in the August primary, including Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the City Council citywide Position 8 challenger with a 12-point lead over appointed incumbent Tanya Woo (both will advance to November).

The only nailbiter noted at Wednesday’s meeting was the race for state Commissioner of Public Lands, with Republican former U.S. House Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler already locking in one general-ballot spot, while Democratic King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove hangs onto a less-than-a-tenth-of-a-point lead over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson for the second general-election spot.

State House Position 2 Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon told the group that race is vital because Upthegrove would use a “science-based perspective to manage our public lands.” All in all, Fitzgibbon – who is House Majority Leader – declared himself “thrilled” by the primary results, even though, he noted wryly, his Position 1 counterpart Rep. Emily Alvarado got more votes than he did (barely – 329) in their respective re-election races. He said Democrats expect to add to their majorities in the State House and State Senate. And he noted his own household had added “a new Democrat” when he and his wife welcomed a baby in June.

Also briefly taking the microphone, our area’s Seattle Public Schools Board Director Gina Topp. With the new school year now three weeks away, she said the district is “working hard on safety” and she hopes for an update from the SPS administration at the board’s next meeting August 28. She also is hoping that’s when superintendent Dr. Brent Jones will present his long-anticipated plan for potential school closures/consolidations (it’s not on the agenda so far, though). “Difficult choices” are ahead, she warned.

Shortly thereafter, the meeting moved on to the agenda centerpiece, a Town Hall with King County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock, both West Seattle residents (“our administration is tilted toward West Seattleites,” he joked).

Read More

One week after voting ended in our state’s primary, the vote-counting is mostly done, though the election results won’t be certified for another week. We’re checking back on a few races of note:

CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Whoever wins in November gets to serve the final year of this unexpired term – and then next fall there’s a vote for a full four-year term. Challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck will be on the November ballot along with appointed incumbent Councilmember Tanya Woo; none of the other three candidates got out of single digits. Current count for the top two, with 43 percent citywide turnout:

Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 98,902 – 50.17%
Tanya Woo – 75,684 – 38.39%

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS: There’s been some suspense about whether the November contest would be between two Republicans, but King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines, a Democrat, has been holding onto second place for a few days now. Current count for the top three:

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 408,179 – 21.9%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 390,973 – 20.98%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 385,510 – 20.68%

STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: West Seattleite Nick Brown, a Democrat and former U.S. Attorney, is headed for the general against Republican Pete Serrano, mayor of Pasco. Current count for the top two:

Pete Serrano (R) – 792,016 – 41.82%
Nick Brown (D) – 672,076 – 35.48%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE: Though each race has only two candidates, they were on the primary ballot (and will be on the November ballot too) because that’s the law for partisan races, so here’s a look at the current count for both seats:

Position 1
Emily Alvarado (D)* – 37,746 -86.45%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,820 – 13.33%

Position 2
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* – 37,418 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,366 – 14.52%

If you’re interested in seeing how the results have evolved over the week, here’s what these races looked like after the first count last Tuesday.

P.S. Updated state results are here; updated King County results are here.

August is usually a time of few community meetings, but there are exceptions, and tomorrow night brings one of them. The 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting is happening in-person at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds), 7:30 pm Wednesday following a 6:30 pm pre-meeting presentation. During the regular meeting, County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock – both West Seattleites – are scheduled for a half-hour mini Town Hall. Also on the agenda – though the group has already made most of its endorsement votes for the year, its endorsed presidential candidate is no longer running, so they’ll be voting on whether to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris‘s candidacy. A few other issues are up for endorsement votes too. Only members can vote, but the meeting is open to all to attend, non-members included.

Here’s our update of second-day numbers in the local/state/federal races we mentioned last night (plus one, by reader request), now that King County’s daily count (and many other counties) is in:

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance

Alexis Mercedes Rinck 52,762 47.00%
Tanya Woo 46,293 41.24%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,842 4.31%
Tariq Yusuf 4,442 3.96%
Saul Patu 3,532 3.15%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance

Emily Alvarado (D)* 21,769 85.23%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,703 14.5%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance

Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 21,593 84.1%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 4,045 15.76%

FROM STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS

GOVERNOR – top two advance

Bob Ferguson (D) 511,653 45.46%
Dave Reichert (R) 316,661 28.14%
Semi Bird (R) 106,338 9.45%
Mark Mullet (D) 66,254 5.89%

ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance

Pete Serrano (R) 463,891 41.88%
Nick Brown (D) 397,387 35.87%
Manka Dhingra (D) 245,655 22.18%

(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 245,924 22.55%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 221,787 20.33%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 218,819 20.06%
Patrick DePoe (D) 145,986 13.38%

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance

Pramila Jayapal (D)* 99,387 78.51%
Dan Alexander (R) 11,043 8.72%
Liz Hallock (D) 9,868 7.79%
Cliff Moon (R) 6,026 4.76%

By request …

STATE SUPREME COURT, POSITION 2 – top two advance

Sal Mungia 426,675 42.2%
Dave Larson 374,072 37%
Todd A. Bloom 169,613 16.78%
David R Shelvey 36,295 3.59%

Next King County vote count is planned tomorrow afternoon.

Voting ended at 8 pm in our state’s primary, and King County Elections has released its first and only ballot count for the night. Most of the night’s races of interest are statewide. It’s the primary, so the top two candidates in each race advance to November. First, we look at the one and only Seattle race, for the final year of what was Teresa Mosqueda‘s unexpired citywide City Council Position 8 term when she moved to the County Council; Tanya Woo was appointed to serve this year, but there had to be an election for this next year. Woo is among the five candidates on the ballot. Tonight’s count:

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance

Alexis Mercedes Rinck 45,914 46.60%
Tanya Woo 40,790 41.40%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,321 4.39%
Tariq Yusuf 3,971 4.03%
Saul Patu 3,173 3.22%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance

Emily Alvarado (D)* 18,164 84.72%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,218 15.01%

34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance

Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 18,057 83.78%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 3,466 16.08%

STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS (as of 8:45 pm the Secretary of State website was finally showing them properly)

GOVERNOR – top two advance

Bob Ferguson (D) 459,407 45.49%
Dave Reichert (R) 281,993 27.92%
Semi Bird (R) 94,938 9.4%
Mark Mullet (D) 58,934 5.84%

ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance

Pete Serrano (R) 416,064 41.85%
Nick Brown (D) 356,851 35.9%
Manka Dhingra (D) 220,485 22.18%

(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)

STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance

Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 221,678 22.64%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 198,343 20.26%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 194,412 19.85%
Patrick DePoe (D) 129,467 13.22%

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance

Pramila Jayapal (D)* 86,049 78.39%
Dan Alexander (R) 9,683 8.82%
Liz Hallock (D) 8,581 7.82%
Cliff Moon (R) 5,213 4.75%

(Rep. Jayapal is a West Seattle resident.)

We’ll be checking the statewide results for updates later, since other counties may release vote counts before the night’s out.

Another reminder that tomorrow night (Tuesday, August 6) is the deadline for voting in the statewide primary. As of this morning, only 17.2% of Seattle ballots have been received at King County Elections. The ballots received by voters in West Seattle have 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (If you haven’t decided in that race, the West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)

Mailing your ballot? Get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time for a Tuesday postmark. Using a county dropbox? They are open until 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. West Seattle now has four: By Morgan Junction Park, by High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here (along with others, such as White Center and South Park if those are more convenient for you).

Tuesday night is the deadline for getting your primary ballot in, but so far, only 15.5% of Seattle ballots have arrived back at King County Elections. That’s slightly above the countywide 15.3% turnout. As we noted when ballots were mailed out in mid-July, voters in West Seattle will see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (The West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)

If you’re going to mail in your ballot, get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time to be postmarked by Tuesday (August 6); if you’re using a county dropbox, get it into one by 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. Remember that West Seattle now has four, with the newly opened Morgan Junction dropbox (by Morgan Junction Park) – High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here. If you’re in east or south West Seattle, the South Park or White Center library boxes might be more convenient. If you need accessibility assistance to complete a ballot, the county’s “vote centers” will be open Monday and Tuesday. Those are also the places where you can register if you’re not registered yet. The first ballot count will be released around 8:15 pm Tuesday.

As ballots for the August 6 primary start arriving, King County Elections dropboxes are now open – including the newest one in West Seattle, next to Morgan Junction Park [map], installed in May. In our photo above, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda joined KC Elections Director Julie Wise for a brief ceremony this morning to dedicate and celebrate the box. They also talked about what’s new this election: Your ballot will arrive with a couple new features – the “I Voted!” sticker that was given out to people voting in person, and a list of the five dropboxes closest to your address. In West Seattle, besides the new dropbox, the locations are High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), The Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th SW), and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, on the driveway in front of the administration building), and the box by the White Center Library isn’t far (1409 SW 107th). KCE says dropboxes handle an average of 50 percent to 60 percent of all ballots in elections; they are emptied at least once a day by a team of two KC employees. Other datapoints: The boxes are made in Puyallup, weigh half a ton each, and are secured by four 8-inch bolts cemented into the ground.

(We’re told a school bus hit a dropbox and the box didn’t budge, though the bus suffered notable damage.) While Wise was there, we also asked her about the status of the ranked-choice voting system approved by Seattle voters two years ago. As we reported in this update last year, the 2022 ballot measure required it to be implemented for city elections by 2027 …. and that’s when Wise says it will happen. In the meantime, an advisory committee is being formed right now and will have its first meeting next month.

P.S. For this election, get your ballot in a dropbox by 8 pm August 6 – or in USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked no later than that date.

(WSB photo, May)

When you’re ready to put your primary-election ballot in a King County Elections dropbox, remember that we now have four in West Seattle, with the addition of that one by Morgan Junction Park. First, of course, you’ll have to get your ballot, and that could happen as soon as Thursday, because they’re set to be mailed out tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17). If you want to preview what’s on yours, go here. You’ll see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2, State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. Once you get your ballot, you have until 8 pm August 6 to get it in a dropbox; if you’re using postal mail, you just have to be sure it’ll be postmarked by that date.

Three City Council notes:

‘STREET-RACING’ BILL: This morning at 9:30 am, the council’s Public Safety Committee takes this up again, this time likely for a vote, along with two proposed amendments from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka (who is the committee’s vice chair). First, he is proposing that in addition to the $500 fine that would be faced by the owner of a car participating in racing or related activities, a second violation would carry an $800 fine, third a $1,500 fine. See that amendment here. Second, he proposes a $100 citation that could be given to anyone attending an “unlawful race event.” See that amendment here. The full meeting agenda (which also explains how to comment, and links to the full bill under consideration) is here. (You can watch via Seattle Channel.)

TRANSPORTATION LEVY: At this afternoon’s meeting, councilmembers will take their final vote on the $1.55 billion, eight-year transportation levy renewal/expansion that will go to voters in November. The version they’re voting on and the companion amendment are linked in the agenda; assuming they’ll pass it (since it was approved by the levy committee comprised of all councilmembers, chaired by Saka), the mayor is expected to sign it tomorrow. A council spokesperson notes in a memo to media: “The current transportation levy was passed in 2015 and is set to expire this year. It accounts for roughly 30 percent of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s budget for core services and new projects. Under this levy proposal, the estimated property tax bill for the median assessed value home would be $499 per year. That’s $16.58 per month more than the expiring levy.” If you have any final words about it, the agenda for today’s 2 pm meeting explains how to participate in the public-comment period.

NEW SAKA STAFFER: Saka’s staff has been particularly visible in the community so far, so changes/additions are noteworthy, and the councilmember has just announced one. During Monday afternoon’s “briefing meeting” – when councilmembers provide miscellaneous updates – Saka mentioned he’s just hired Ian Griswold as legislative director, joining chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko and district director Leyla Gheisar. We asked Ko for more details and she forwarded Saka’s announcement:

Ian is a home-grown Seattleite and grew up in West Seattle. He brings a diverse professional experience, having worked with the Washington Technology Industry Association and Seattle Police Foundation. He is a graduate of UW’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. He looks forward to providing strong legislative and policy support work for the office.

Saka’s staff had had an opening since Heather Marx departed as policy adviser in May.