Uh, guys. You're gonna wanna vote.

Your ballots for the general election—which includes races for the county council, the city council, the port commission, the school board, and a big ol’ housing levy—are due Tuesday, November 7 before 8 pm. 

All those races matter, but stakes seem highest for the seven seats up for grabs on the Seattle City Council. Working-class Seattleites have the opportunity to vote in a progressive majority, but big business and landlords want you to sit this one out so they can buy City Hall, claw back progressive wins, and defend their hoarded wealth from taxation. Send this story outlining the consequences of a conservative sweep to your friends to scare them straight—straight to the ballot box.

In typical Seattle election fashion, right now King County Elections (KCE) reports higher voter turnout from precincts with water views, which are home to wealthier homeowners rather than artsy renters with green hair. On top of that, 44% of ballots belong to voters above 65, not the youngsters who took tear gas to the face in 2020.

According to the latest data from KCE, only 17% of King County voters have returned their ballots. A KCE spokesperson told The Stranger they project 45% of registered voters to cast a ballot. That’s on par with the 2021, which gave us a corporate shill Mayor, a jail-loving City Attorney, and Council Member Sara Nelson, whose levels of enmity toward working people exceed the scope of any scary qualifiers I can think of. KCE’s projection trails turnout figures from 2019, when voters stuck it to Amazon and won the most progressive council this City has seen—I know, hard to believe. 

So, if you want the working class to decide the election, then please drag all your comrades out to the ballot box and go decide it! 

Your ballot should be in your mailbox if you’re registered to vote at your current address. If it's not there, then you can print out a new one here. Once you have a ballot, fill it out exactly as The Stranger tells you to, sign your envelope, and put it in a drop box. (Though you COULD drop your ballot in the mail [no stamp required], at this stage in the game it’s better to use the drop boxes to make sure your vote counts.) 

If you are not registered to vote, then go visit a voting center some time between 8:30 am and 8 pm tomorrow. You can check registration status here if you’re not sure. Be ready with ID and the last four digits of your social security number. 

Thanks for your participation in democracy. We love to see it.