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Let’s get ready to crumble!!!! …under the crushing weight of democracy’s corpse. JK, JK. It’s not all bad. It’s Primary Election Night, babies, and the future actually looks bright-ish! Mayoral candidate Katie Wilson is giving Mayor Bruce Harrell a run for his money (literally), and Dionne Foster is neck-and-neck with conservative City Council President Sara Nelson. There is hope!
While it’s impossible to know what will shake out once all the ballots are counted, we’re going to do our best—tonight, members of the Stranger Election Control Board are charging into the city to pop into election parties all over town. We’re going to sneak snacks, eavesdrop, and see how candidates react to the first wave of tonight’s results, so stay tuned to this liveblog to follow along!
Speaking of results, the first batch should drop tonight shortly after 8 p.m. Which means… you still have time to vote!
Is your ballot still sitting in the pile of old mail, unopened and ignored? Just fill it out (here’s our cheat sheet), and drop it in a ballot box by 8 p.m.!
If you never received a ballot, lost your ballot, or forgot to register before the ballots were mailed, you can vote in person at one of King County’s election sites, which, in Seattle, is at the Lumen Field Events Center. Also open until 8 p.m.
As of 4 p.m., 22 percent of registered voters in King County have returned their ballots. Don’t be another statistic. VOTE! See you later tonight for fun, mischief, and maybe some crying.
All photos by the Stranger Election Control Board unless otherwise noted.
You’re Voting, You’re Really Voting!
6:25 p.m.
A couple of hours ago, 22 percent of registered voters in King County had returned their ballots. Now, as of 6 p.m., the King County Elections office is reporting that 24 percent of y’all have done your civic duty. Will we beat last year’s sad 41 percent? We believe in you, Seattle! Go! Vote! Ballot boxes and in-person voting centers are open until 8 p.m.!
What We’re Watching in City Council Position 9
6:15 p.m.
This race is keeping us on our toes. Recent polling put City Council President Sara Nelson and policy wonk Dionne Foster in another statistical tie, but the vast majority of voters were undecided. “It could break pretty aggressively in one way or the other,” said political consultant Stephen Paolini. “I don’t think anyone has a good pulse on how that’s going to break.”
What We’re Watching in the Mayor’s Race
6:10 p.m.
Katie Wilson’s campaign has been picking up speed, especially in the last month. New polling showed her statistically tied with Mayor Bruce Harrell at the end of last month, and fundraising-wise, they’re neck and neck (about half a million each). The big difference between the two right now is PAC money. Bruce Harrell for Seattle’s Future has already spent more than $180,000 on his behalf.
So what does a good night for Wilson look like tonight? According to Stephen Paolini, a local political consultant, it’d look like Harrell getting less than 45 percent of the vote, with her in second place. “I’m expecting her to actually have a really good night,” he says.
No One Is Dancing at Jeanie Chunn’s Othello Park Primary Dance Party
5:56 p.m.
It’s still early, and maybe everyone is busy eating the fare from Soul Fusion, but the DJ in the park is bumping sick beats (remixes of “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry, “September” by Earth, With & Fire, “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar, “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore, “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot) to an audience of no groovers. But people are chowing down and playing corn hole. Maybe things will heat up as we get closer to ballot drop. We have yet to see Jeanie, but that’s because we are hungry and want Soul Fusion just like everyone else.
