Today is General Election Day in Washington State and in many states across the United States, particularly New Jersey and Virginia. Much is at stake.
Voters in the aforementioned East Coast states will be electing governors and state legislators, while in Washington State, five special elections will determine who controls the State Senate through the end of 2018.
Most of Washington’s cities and ports are holding their regularly scheduled elections. Some of Washington’s home rule counties, like King, Snohomish, and Whatcom, are also holding their regularly scheduled elections.
(A home rule county is a county that has adopted a charter to govern itself. Home rule counties operate differently than code counties, which have no charter.)
In Oregon, there are no candidates on today’s ballot, but there are a few jurisdictions with ballot measures, including these in Multnomah County.
Have you voted yet? If you have, congratulations on fulfilling your civic duty. Haven’t voted yet? It’s time to get that ballot in! You’ve only got a few hours left before time runs out to participate. There’s no excuse for not voting.
You should have received your ballot in the mail a few weeks ago from the county you reside in. If you did not receive a ballot, or if you have misplaced your ballot, you should call your county auditor or elections office to obtain a provisional ballot.
Don’t forget to sign your ballot before putting it in a drop box or the mail. Washingtonians, locate the nearest drop box to you by going here.
If you live in Oregon, don’t take your ballot to a post office, as it’s too late to mail it. Find a drop box instead, and take your ballot there.
Not sure who to vote for? If you belong to or prefer a particular political party, you may want to consult their list of endorsements.
There’s also the Progressive Voters Guide maintained by Fuse Washington.
NPI has taken positions on the following statewide ballot measures in Washington (we do not endorse candidates for office).
Washington
- Advisory Vote #15: MAINTAINED
- Advisory Vote #16: MAINTAINED
- Advisory Vote #18: MAINTAINED
- King County Proposition #1: APPROVED
We also urge you to vote YES on your local levies, to support essential public services like fire and rescue (unless you’ve got a very good reason not to).
But above all…. VOTE! Then go make sure your family and friends have voted.