King County Elections mails 1.16 million ballots to voters
October 17, 2012
NEW — 9:30 a.m. Oct. 17, 2012
King County Elections plans to mail more than 1.16 million ballots to voters Wednesday as all-mail voting starts in federal, state and local contests.
The election marks the first presidential contest since King County started conducting all-mail elections and since Washington transitioned to a vote-by-mail state.
“Voters should watch for their ballots in the mail and contact us if they haven’t received it by Monday, Oct. 22,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “We anticipate a high turnout, and we encourage all voters to get their ballots voted and returned no later than the Election Day deadline — the earlier, the better.”
King County voters should also start receiving voters’ pamphlets in the mail in the coming days. Voters receive a local pamphlet from the county and a state pamphlet from the Office of the Secretary of State.
Voters can meet congressional, legislative candidates at forum
October 16, 2012
Hear from the candidates for offices in Olympia and Washington, D.C., Oct. 18 at a candidate forum cosponsored by The Issaquah Press, the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters.
The lineup includes candidates for the state House of Representatives and state Senate, plus Democrat Karen Porterfield, a candidate to represent Issaquah in Congress.
The forum is meant to offer voters a chance to learn about local candidates as the clock ticks down to Election Day. King County Elections is due to mail ballots to voters by Oct. 19.
Voters can join the event at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Issaquah City Hall South, 135 E. Sunset Way. Or, Issaquah residents can also watch the candidate forum live on the local government access channel, ICTV Channel 21.
Last voter registration deadline before Election Day approaches
October 16, 2012
The deadline to register to vote in person is Oct. 29, a little more than a week before Election Day.
Residents can register at King County Elections, 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton, between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The office also operates a Voter Registration Annex, 500 Fourth Ave., Room 311, Seattle. Residents can register at the annex on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2-4:30 p.m.
More information about registration — by mail or online — is available at the King County Elections registration website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.
Meet congressional, legislative candidates at forum
October 9, 2012
Hear from the candidates for offices in Olympia and Washington, D.C., at a candidate forum cosponsored by The Issaquah Press, the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters.
The lineup for the Oct. 18 forum includes candidates for the state House of Representatives and state Senate, plus a candidate to represent Issaquah in Congress. The forum includes candidates in contested and uncontested races.
The event is not a debate. Candidates offer opening statements to the audience and then answer a series of questions from the moderator, Publisher Debbie Berto.
King County Elections to open Saturday for voter registration
October 5, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. Oct. 5, 2012
King County Elections is open Saturday to accommodate high volumes of voter registrations and updates to voter registration information.
The elections office, 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. so voters can register and update information in person. Saturday is the deadline for mail-in registrations and updates. Monday is the deadline for online registrations and updates.
Monday is Columbus Day, but the elections office and the Voter Registration Annex, 500 Fourth Ave., Room 311, Seattle, remain open for voters.
The elections office is usually open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The annex is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Voter registration deadlines approach
September 25, 2012
In the march to Election Day, local and state elections officials encourage residents to register to vote — by mail, online or, in a recent development, on Facebook.
Oct. 6 is the deadline for mail-in registration and updates. Oct. 8 is the deadline for online registration and updates.
Facebook users can like the Secretary of State’s MyVote app in order to register to vote.
More information about registration — by mail or online — is available at the King County Elections registration website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.
In order to register as a Washington voter, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a Washington resident, at least 18 by Election Day and not under the authority of the state Department of Corrections.
In Washington, voters do not register by political party or declare political party membership to vote.
National Voter Registration Day offers chance to join electorate
September 25, 2012
NEW — 4 p.m. Sept. 25, 2012
Election Day is a little more than a month in the future, and voters can still register to vote or update voter registration information.
Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, and King County Elections used the observance to encourage people to join the electorate.
“If you haven’t yet registered, today is your opportunity to join thousands of citizens across the country who are honoring our democratic process by registering to vote,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement.
Election Day is Nov. 6, and the elections office plans to send out ballots in mid-October. Voters must postmark or drop off ballots at designated locations by Nov. 6.
Issaquah election results offer clues to November
September 18, 2012
King County is a hard-fought battleground in the race for governor, and the August primary election results for Jay Inslee and Rob McKenna confirm Issaquah is closely divided, too.
Only 150 votes separated McKenna from Inslee among Issaquah voters last month. In 2004, for comparison, 133 votes statewide decided the contest between Chris Gregoire and Dino Rossi.
The information comes from a detailed analysis of precinct results in the Aug. 7 election. Elsewhere on the ballot, Issaquah voters endorsed incumbents, and rejected past and present state legislators’ bids for higher office.
How did Issaquah vote?
September 18, 2012
Data from the Aug. 7 primary shows how Issaquah voters decided — and offers clues to how the local electorate might vote in the November general election.
Turnout in primary election fails to meet expectations
August 28, 2012
King County turnout in the Aug. 7 primary hit 40 percent, but statewide turnout failed to meet a pre-election forecast.
