The King Conservation District (King CD) will be holding a district-wide election for an open seat on its board of supervisors this coming Tuesday, March 16.

King CD, working with Bellevue-based election administrator Election Trust, will be providing seven polling locations throughout the district.

Candidates for the position include:

• Mary Embleton, Seattle
• Mara Heiman, Auburn
• Teri Herrera, Redmond
• Kirk Prindle, Seattle
• Max Prinsen, Renton

For a list of voting locations, hours of operation and candidate backgrounds, visit www.kingcd.org.

Registered voters who reside within the district, which encompasses most of King County, are eligible to vote in the election, with the exception of residents of cities that do not fall within the King CD’s boundaries (Federal Way, Enumclaw, Skykomish, Milton and Pacific). Voters must present proper identification, such as a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate.

The all-volunteer, five member board includes three elected members and two who are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. All supervisors serve three-year terms. The board of supervisors conducts regular public meetings to oversee the district’s budget and provide guidance and
oversight to district staff.

The King CD provides information and technical assistance programs available to all landowners within the district’s boundaries (most of King County) on a
voluntary, non-regulatory basis. The district provides grants for conservation-focused projects and programs, and initiates community outreach activities that include workshops, education programs, site visits, farm plans, and consultation on land, water, and wildlife management.

As one of 47 conservation districts in the state, the King CD is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by the State of Washington and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. The election is held in accordance with Washington Revised Code RCW 89.08.

Further information on conservation district elections and procedures throughout the state can be found at www.scc.wa.gov/index.php/Elections-and-Appointments.

For more information on the King Conservation District, visit www.kingcd.org.

The Highline Historical Society will be presenting “Soldiers in Petticoats: The Struggle of the Suffragettes” at the SeaTac City Hall on Sunday, Feb. 21st, beginning at 2pm.

Local actress Tames Alan will return, dressed in full period costume and acting in character, to talk about the struggle of American women to gain the right to vote.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline Historical Society’s “Soldiers In Petticoats: The Struggle of the Suffragettes”

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 21st beginning at 2pm

WHERE: Sea-Tac City Hall, located at 4800 S 188th Street.

COST: This is a FREE event.

INFO: From a press release:

In the authentic clothing of a suffragette, Actress Tames Alan returns to talk about the struggle of American women to gain the right to vote.  In 1867, the passing of the 14th Amendment defined “citizen” as “male,” thus denying women the right to vote.  On this 100th Anniversary of women’s right to vote in Washington State, learn how American women adopted the militant tactics of English suffragettes to earn the right to vote and regain citizenship in their own country.  Discover how the suffragettes influenced child labor laws, the use and dispersal of birth control, the Temperance movement, and the right of women to earn a college degree.

This engaging program is free.

It is brought to the community by the Highline Historical Society with the support of Humanities WA.

Immediately followed by a reception for the elected women of Highline.

Tames Alan is an actress, historian, and fashion history teacher who has combined her skills to create Living History Lectures for people of all ages. Since 1986, she has been touring her programs throughout the United States and Canada, where she is known for in-depth research and a lively presentational style. Tames studied theater and history at Willamette University in Oregon and theater at the American Conservatory Theater and the Dell Arte School in California. She taught fashion history at the Art Institute of Seattle, and is a historical consultant to museums, libraries, and historical festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest.

For more information, visit the Highline Historical Society’s website here.

King County Elections released an update for Tuesday’s election results, and it looks like Proposition 1, the King County Library System “Library Levy,” has increased its “Yes” lead to 2.26%, up from just over 1%; as of 4:15pm Wednesday, Feb. 10th, the totals are:

KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:
200,780/647,133 31.03%

Proposition No. 1

• YES: 101,858 • 51.13%
• NO: 97,344 • 48.87%

We’ll post further results as they are released (usually weekdays around 4pm), and the final tally won’t be official until Feb. 24th.

The language for Prop. 1, according to the Voter’s Pamphlet:

The Board of Directors of the King County Rural Library District adopted Resolution No. 2009-11 concerning an increase in the District’s regular property tax levy. In order to provide continued funding for the normal operation and maintenance of the King County library system, this proposition would authorize the District to restore regular property tax levy rate to $0.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value for collection in 2011, and to increase the levy in each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW. Should this proposition be approved?

It’s Election Night in Washington, the mailed votes are being counted, and, as of 8:12pm, the totals for Proposition 1, the King County Library System “Library Levy,” were:

KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: * 182002 / 647133 28.12%
Proposition No. 1

• YES: 91,215 50.51%
• NO: 89,359 49.49%
  

We’ll post further results on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 10th), and the final tally won’t be official until Feb. 24th.

The language for Prop. 1, according to the Voter’s Pamphlet:

The Board of Directors of the King County Rural Library District adopted Resolution No. 2009-11 concerning an increase in the District’s regular property tax levy. In order to provide continued funding for the normal operation and maintenance of the King County library system, this proposition would authorize the District to restore regular property tax levy rate to $0.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value for collection in 2011, and to increase the levy in each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW. Should this proposition be approved?

We’re not quite to the point of voting over the internet, but last week, King County Elections announced that it is now offering audio versions of its voters’ pamphlet at its website, meaning you can now rock out to ballot descriptions on your iPod.

Voters can now download the King County voters’ pamphlet as a FREE MP3 file or do air guitar to to it online. King County Elections has provided a limited number of audio recordings of voters’ pamphlets in the past, but now this feature is available for everyone, 24/7/365 at their website.

“We’re trying to improve services to voters who need them in order to vote privately and independently,” said Sandy McConnell, Elections Operations Manager. “This new service also provides convenience to many voters who prefer to listen to an audio version of their pamphlet.”

The audio voters’ pamphlets, along with the text versions, are located on the Elections website here. Audio ballots are also available to support voting at all three accessible voting centers.

Here are direct links to the rockin’ MP3s, with pertinent ones boldfaced:

• A Letter from the Director
• Ballot drop boxes and accessible voting centers
• Voter information
• Reading your voters’ pamphlet
• City of Renton Proposition No. 1
• King County Rural Library District, Proposition No. 1
• Seattle School District No. 1, Proposition No. 1
• Seattle School District No. 1, Proposition No. 2
• Federal Way School District No. 210, Proposition No. 1
• Vashon Island School District No. 402, Proposition No. 1
• Tukwila School District No. 406, Proposition No. 1

Election Day is Tuesday, Feb. 9th.

Lots of interesting news this last week in the Burien area, from Day of the Dead to Election Day to the Day of a Massive Police Response in Tukwila and more.

Here are the stories we covered between Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, 2009:

UPDATE WED. 11/4/ 5pm: The second round of election returns has been released by King County Elections, and with between 28-30% of the votes counted, Dow Constantine still leads with 58%, Jack Block Jr. with 55% and 76% voting NO against Burien’s Transportation Benefit District (sidewalks & bike paths) proposal.

Also, Initiative 1033 is still failing with 67% voting “No,” and R-71 is still passing with 67% “Yes.”

Here are the updated results culled from the King County Elections website as of 4:19pm Wed., 11/4/09:

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1,079,842 • 28.58%

• Susan Hutchison: 125,607 • 42.26%
• Dow Constantine: 171,006 • 57.53%
• Write-in: 621 • 0.21%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1079842 • 28.58%

Initiative Measure No. 1033:

• YES: 92,654 • 33.28%
• NO: 185,721 • 66.72%

Referendum Measure No. 71:

• APPROVED: 202,125 • 66.59%
• REJECTED: 101,403 • 33.41%

CITY OF BURIEN:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Council Position No. 1:

• Sue Blazak: 1,981 • 44.83%
• Jack Block, Jr.: 2,413 • 54.61%
• Write-in: 25 • 0.57%

Council Position No. 3:

• Joan McGilton: 3,214 • 97.01%
• Write-in: 99 • 2.99%

Council Position No. 5:

• Rose Clark: 3,212 • 96.69%
• Write-in: 110 • 3.31%

Council Position No. 7:

• Brian Bennett: 3,363 • 98.22%
• Write-in: 61 • 1.78%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Transportation Benefit District No. 1 Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 958 • 23.50%
• NO: 3,118 • 76.50%

CITY OF NORMANDY PARK:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 1,553 / 4,676 • 33.21%

Council Position No. 2:

• Clarke Brant: 1,025 • 97.99%
• Write-in: 21 • 2.01%

Council Position No. 4:

• John L. Rankin: 972 • 96.05%
• Write-in: 40 • 3.95%

Council Position No. 6 short and full term:

• Marion Yoshino: 995 • 98.03%
• Write-in: 20 • 1.97%

Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 680 • 47.16%
• NO: 762 • 52.84%

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 13,664 / 57,961 • 23.57%

Director District No. 2:

• Angelica M. Alvarez: 10,372 • 98.47%
• Write-in: 161 • 1.53%

Director District No. 3:

• Susan Goding: 10319 • 98.53%
• Write-in: 154 • 1.47%

KING COUNTY

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 254261 / 1079842 23.55%

Sheriff:

• Sue Rahr: 220,802 • 97.96%
• Write-in: 4,597 • 2.04%

Assessor unexpired 2-year term

• Graham Albertini: 52,192 • 20.91%
• Gene Lux: 12,175 • 4.88%
• Lloyd Hara: 82,864 • 33.20%
• Bob Rosenberger: 72,525 • 29.06%
• Bob Blanchard: 29,041 • 11.63%
• Write-in: 806 • 0.32%

If you haven’t yet mailed your ballot in, since today (Tuesday, Nov. 3rd) is election day, King County has drop boxes throughout the county that provide voters with a way to securely return ballots without the cost of postage.

These drop boxes are open 24 hours a day, and will close at 8pm tonight (Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd).

Of course, you can also just make sure your ballot is postmarked Nov. 3rd by going to the post office before it closes, but that’ll cost you 42 cents; plus, ya never know if your ballot will be lost…

Here’s more info on the ballot drop boxes from King County Elections:

How do I use a ballot drop box?
Carefully follow the instructions on the ballot envelope. Place the ballot in the security envelope, seal all envelopes, sign the outer envelope, and deposit your ballot packet into the box.

How do I know my ballot is secure?
Ballots are collected regularly from each drop box by King County Elections. Two official elections workers will use a chain of custody process to transport all ballots.

Ballot packets are delivered to the Elections facility where they are processed with other returned mail ballots. The signature on every ballot is checked against the voter’s registration file and if it matches, the ballot moves forward.

Here’s the list of nearby drop-off boxes (more are listed at the King County Elections website):

• White Center Library: 11220 16th S.W., Seattle, 98146
• Tukwila, King County Elections Headquarters: 9010 East Marginal Way S, 98108
• Des Moines Library: 21620 11th Avenue S., 98198
• Federal Way Library: 848 S 320th St, 98003
• Delridge: 5405 Delridge Way SW, 98106

If you’ve mailed your ballot in and want to check on its progress, you can do so online by clicking here and following instructions.

[Original Artwork by Danielle Burton.]

by Stephen Lamphear

On Tuesday (Sept. 29th), I saw my first “Reject 71″ yard sign in Burien at First Ave South and SW 148th. In addition to the racial/cultural hate that runs just under the surface in most suburban communities, we have the religious/lifestyle haters coming out of the closet.

When I moved to this community in 1991, the big local news story was Nazi skinheads targeting Jews in the neighborhood I’d chosen. Oh, great — not only am I gay, but Jewish, too!

Burien incorporated in 1993 and we lost all the equal rights protections we’d had as part of unincorporated King County. When I was elected to the city council in 1997 (openly gay), I protested that I could be fired from a job in a town where I made the laws. I was not going to take that as fact.

So, I set a goal of equal rights and equality in my town. In 2001, Burien became the first suburban city to provide domestic partnership benefits to all partnered city employees (only str8s signed up). Then in 2004, Burien adopted a comprehensive anti-discrimination ordinance that is stronger than state law. No one can be discriminated against, for no reason — period.

After all that work to bring equal rights and fairness to my city, it angers me to see haters plant their flag in my town. Treat your neighbors like family, because they are — Approve R-71.

For those of you unfamiliar with this issue, here’s the language that will be used on the Nov. 3rd ballot:

The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill.

This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

Should this bill be:
[ ] Approved
[ ] Rejected

(Stephen Lamphear is a longtime Burien resident and former City Councilmember. Read more of his writing here.)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: We welcome all opinions, and publish pertinent ones at our discretion. As always, all Readers are encouraged to either email us their thoughts, or Comment below. What do YOU think of "Referendum 71"?]

UPDATE 4:30pm WED. 9/2/09: King County certified the Aug. 18th election results today, and the final tally for Burien’s annexation bid for the North Highline Area has the following returns, from over 39%% of the 6,384 ballots sent out – 55.56% “For” and 44.44% “Against”:

“North Highline South Annexation Area Proposed Annexation to the City of Burien”

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 2521 / 6,384 39.49%

• FOR ANNEXATION 1380 55.56%
• AGAINST ANNEXATION 1104 44.44%

It was pretty obvious from even the earliest returns, but now that it’s official, the cityfolk can pop open the champagne (‘cept for a certain city manager), breathe a sigh of relief and get to work for their new residents!

And all new Burienites should contact their new city councilmembers here and let them know what they need!

by Ralph Nichols

If you’ve not yet voted and mailed your ballot, remember, tomorrow – Tuesday, August 18, primary election day – is the deadline to do so. And if you live in the southern part of the North Highline unincorporated area, voting in King County’s first all mail-in election carries added significance. Your vote will help decide whether this area becomes part of the city of Burien.

If a majority of these voters says yes to annexation, Burien’s population will increase by some 14,100 residents with the addition of an area from South/Southwest 128th Street north to a zigzag line that extends west to east along Southwest 112th Street in north Shorewood, South 116th Street, South 112th Street, and South 107th Street in Boulevard Park, ending at Tukwila.

Much of Beverly Park and Boulevard Park, including the Rainier Golf and Country Club, will be absorbed by Burien. Left in the remaining unincorporated area between Burien and Seattle will be the North Highline fire station, Evergreen High School and Pool, and the Top Hat neighborhood.

And if annexation is approved – growing Burien by 44% and making it the 21st largest city in Washington with a population of approximately 45,900 (surpassing Olympia in population) – what happens next?

The first public action will be a special City Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m., “to discuss the path forward, to determine how in general to do this whole thing,” says Burien City Manager Mike Martin. “In the next few weeks we will be hiring staff and taking inventories of capital needs (in the unincorporated area). We will need to start figuring out planning and zoning issues up there.”

At that council meeting, “we will bring a resolution to modify the municipal code so North Highline residents in the new annexation area can serve on city advisory boards and commissions now” – through the regular appointment process as positions become open. “This is kind of a big deal,” Martin says. “It will give folks in that area a direct say in advising the city council.”

He adds, “We want (the annexation process) to be seamless.” That is “the overarching theme … we don’t want people to be jolted by this, either the new residents or existing city residents.”

Another initial step, says Mayor Joan McGilton, is a citywide “visioning project. We need to ask those residents and existing residents what the new 45,000 population city should look like.”

“Even if annexation is approved on Tuesday, this area of North Highline will not become part of Burien on Wednesday,” Martin notes emphatically. The process of bringing the unincorporated area into the city will take several months, with annexation becoming official sometime in late winter at the earliest.

City staff already “has taken a cursory look at a lot of these things. We’re not operating in the dark,” he says. “But not a lot will be involved until voters say yes. We wouldn’t want to have spent a lot of time if voters told us they didn’t want to become part of Burien.”

The city’s primary focus on bringing the annexed area into Burien will be planning and zoning, streets and storm drains, and code enforcement, as well as adding staff to work on these matters. In addition, Burien, which adopted a two-year budget for the first time this year, will need to modify it for 2010 to allow for both increased revenue and spending.

The city’s contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office will be modified to hire more deputies as city police officers, many of whom already work in North Highline. All special districts – fire, water, sewer, library, and Highline schools – will continue to provide services in the newly annexed area without interruption or change.

And when the annexed area finally is inside the city, what then? Will Burien consider annexing the remaining North Highline unincorporated area between its new northern city limit and Seattle?

There is, says McGilton, “definite interest on the part of four current council members … to aggressively look at that. Two council members say the city has done as much as it needs to do. My personal preference (if the current annexation proposal is approved) is to settle in and then look at it. I’m a phase one, phase two person … if this is a success, then than will give us credibility to move on north.”

State law requires a simple majority vote of residents in an area designated for annexation before the merger can take effect. Residents of the annexing city do not vote on the question.

As of 1pm Friday, June 5th, only four people have filed for the four Burien city council positions open for election in November:

But wait – you too can file to run for City Council online as long as you’re a Burien resident and registered voter – the deadline is 4pm today (Fri. June 5th): http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/candidatefiling/filingform.aspx

Or in-person until 4:30pm here:

King County Elections Bldg
919 SW Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057

Candidates must be registered voters at the time of filing and Burien residents for at least one year on Election Day.

There will be a non-refundable filing fee, and you can get more information by clicking here.

Tuesday, Feb. 3rd is Election Day, so if you haven’t done so already, dig out your ballot thingy, fill in your one vote and drop it in the mail today.

As a reminder, you’re voting on one item in this “Special Election” – Director of Elections – and your choices are:

• Irons, David
• Huff, Sherril
• Kempf, Julie
• Anderson, Bill
• Clifford, Christopher
• Roach, Pam

You can also drop your ballot thingy off at the nearest 24-hour drop box, located in West Seattle:

• Delridge Neighborhood Service Center, located at 5405 Delridge Way SW (map below)

Also, a new feature offered by King County Elections is a “ballot tracker” – to track the progress of your already-mailed ballot, click here, fill out your name and birthdate to see where your ballot is (bad news: it doesn’t tell you that you left it on the dresser at home).

For more information, go to the King County Elections website here.

View Larger Map

It’s hard not to win when you run totally unopposed, as the three Reps for Burien’s 34th District did this year, but it’s always interesting to see how many votes they got vs how many write-ins.

Here are the latest local election tally results as of 9am Wed. Nov. 5th:

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 34

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:

26515

/

76831

34.51%

Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll

204

/

204

100.00%

State Senator Legislative District No. 34 2-year Unexpired Term

Joe McDermott

Prefers Democratic Party

20246

98.00%

Write-in

413

2.00%

State Representative Legislative District No. 34 – Position 1

Eileen L. Cody

Prefers Democratic Party

18940

98.38%

Write-in

312

1.62%

State Representative Legislative District No. 34 – Position 2 Short and Full Term

Sharon K. Nelson

Prefers Democratic Party

18878

98.42%

Write-in

304

1.58%

In the 33rd District, the races had actual opponents, with the winners being Tina Orwall for Position 1 and Dave Upthegrove for Position 2:

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 33

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:

18672

/

58524

31.90%

Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll

140

/

140

100.00%

State Representative Legislative District No. 33 – Position 1

Tina L. Orwall

Prefers Democratic Party

10605

63.28%

Todd Gibson

Prefers G.O.P. Party

6136

36.62%

Write-in

17

0.10%

State Representative Legislative District No. 33 – Position 2

Dave Upthegrove

Prefers Democratic Party

11837

70.92%

Tan Lam

Prefers GOP Party

4829

28.93%

Write-in

25

0.15%

Here are the judicial results:

JUDICIAL

JUDICIAL

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters:

367237

/

1108128

33.14%

Poll Precincts Counted/Total Poll

2489

/

2526

98.54%

State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 3

Mary Fairhurst

226063

98.73%

Write-in

2897

1.27%

State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 4

Charles W. Johnson

226052

98.98%

Write-in

2328

1.02%

State Supreme Court – Justice Position No. 7 Short and Full Term

Debra L. Stephens

220688

99.07%

Write-in

2071

0.93%

Court of Appeals, Division No. 1, District No. 1 – Judge Position No. 5 Short And Full

Linda Lau

216305

99.03%

Write-in

2117

0.97%

Court of Appeals, Division No. 1, District No. 1 – Judge Position No. 6

Ann Schindler

213823

99.15%

Write-in

1834

0.85%

Superior Court – Judge Position No. 1

Tim Bradshaw

150286

58.55%

Suzanne (Sue) Parisien

105565

41.13%

Write-in

835

0.33%

Superior Court – Judge Position No. 22

Julia Garratt

112484

45.51%

Holly Hill

133667

54.08%

Write-in

997

0.40%

Superior Court – Judge Position No. 37

Jean Rietschel

116109

46.96%

Barbara Mack

130105

52.62%

Write-in

1060

0.43%

Here are live, real-time election results for the state of Washington:

Today’s the big day, and even though most of our Readers have probably already voted via mail, there are still a few diehard old-school, in-person voters out and about today.

With that in mind, here’s a handy-dandy voting FAQ, courtesy King County’s Elections Office, about today’s election:

Can I vote at King County Elections in Renton on Election Day?
No. Early, in-person voting ended Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. There is no voting at King County Elections office on Tuesday, Nov. 4. There are 392 polling places available throughout the county. To find your polling place, enter your information at https://www.metrokc.gov/elections/voterlookup.aspx or verify the voter registration card.

What happens if I have sealed or returned my absentee ballot in the mailing envelope without the security envelope?
As an alternative, you may use a regular mailing envelope instead of the security envelope to ensure the secrecy of your ballot. However, that is not required. Regardless, return your ballot, it will still be processed and counted with other absentee ballots.

Is there a way to confirm the status of my absentee ballot online?
Not yet. For more information on the status of your absentee ballot, please call 206-296-8683. When King County conducts all elections by mail in February 2009, online ballot packet tracking will be available.

If I’m registered as an absentee voter, can I still vote on Election Day at the polls?
If you’re an absentee voter, please vote the ballot we mailed to you. You can also have a replacement ballot printed at King County Elections. As a last resort, you can also visit any polling place and ask for a provisional ballot.

I have not received my absentee ballot. What are my options for Election Day?
If you have not received your ballot yet, you can visit the Elections office at 919 SW Grady Way in Renton and have your ballot re-issued. You can also visit any polling place and cast a provisional ballot.

My absentee ballot was misplaced or destroyed. What are my options for Election Day?
If you misplaced or destroyed your ballot, you can visit the Elections office at 919 SW Grady Way in Renton to have your ballot re-issued. You can also visit any polling place and cast a provisional ballot.

Where am I supposed to vote?
To find your polling place, enter your information at https://www.metrokc.gov/elections/voterlookup.aspx.

Do I need my voter registration card to vote at my polling place?
No. For a list of acceptable forms of identification at the polls, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voting/idrequirements.aspx.

Can I still pick-up an absentee ballot?
If you are registered as a poll voter, you cannot be issued an absentee ballot and you must vote at your polling place. If you misplaced or destroyed your ballot, please visit the Elections office at 919 SW Grady Way in Renton and have your ballot re-issued.

In case you…

• Haven’t yet voted
• Forgot where the heck you’re supposed to vote
• Just woke up from a Rip Van Winkle-esque long sleep and realized that tomorrow is Election Day
• Are recovering from a soap opera-like amnesia and forgot all about this whole “democracy” thing

Here is a link to a list of polling places for the general Burien area.

Here’s a link to a PDF copy of King County polling places.

If you’ve filled out your ballot but would rather drop it off, you can do so at the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center, which is located 5405 Delridge Way SW in White Center.

Link to King County Elections information website.

Only one week to make up your mind, as Tuesday, Nov. 4th is Election Day.

We spotted this disconcerting yard in Burien this morning, with two different gubernatorial candidate signs. We can only assume that:

The couple that lives there has two different, conflicting opinions

Someone just can’t make up their mind so they’re hedging their bets

A psychotic prankster is sitting at his/her computer laughing maniacally right now

If you’re wondering where to cast your vote, you can refer to this King County Elections page.

If you haven’t already sent your mail-in ballot in, you can also drop it off at the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center, located at 5405 Delridge Way SW, or in Renton at the King County Elections Office at 919 SW Grady Way.

The League of Women Voters of King County South and the Renton AAUW are co-sponsoring a “Pro and Con Forum” on the three state ballot issues and the seven King County Charter Amendments up for decision on Tues. Nov. 4th.

This is a great chance to ask questions and hear the arguments:

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 23rd, 7-9pm

WHERE: Normandy Park Congregational Church, 19247 1st Ave So, Normandy Park (map below)

View Larger Map

It’s election season, and the stakes are higher than they’ve been in years – so don’t forget to register to vote for the Nov. 4th election (you have until this Saturday, Oct. 4th to register online; Oct. 20th if you’re a new/first-time Voter).

More info from the King County Elections website:

King County will mail military, oversea and out of state ballots on Oct. 3 and all other absentee ballots from Oct. 15 through 17.

Voters can confirm their registration information is up-to-date by using King County’s “Your Voter Guide” www.kingcounty.gov/elections or by calling 206-296-VOTE (8683).

King County Elections will have convenient voter registration hours on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

New voters in Washington State have until Monday, Oct. 20 to register but must visit election headquarters at 919 SW Grady Way in Renton (map below).

King County is reaching out to voters on the move whose addresses frequently change including college students, new homeowners, personal mailbox users, and homeless residents by establishing partnerships with organizations that work directly with these voters. These partnerships will play a vital role in the grassroots efforts to encourage voters to update their information when they move.

Register to vote online at https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/secure/pages/Onlinevoterregistration.aspx.

View Larger Map

UPDATE: We misspoke about this last night – because Laura Gene Middaugh got over 50% of the vote, she will run unopposed in November, so good job Matt, but better luck next time…

He may not have garnered the large number of votes that his incumbent competitor did, but as of 10:30pm Tuesday night, Burien’s own Matt Hale (profiled first on the BTB here) looks like he’s going to make it onto the November ballot since today’s primary was a “top two” election and “Write-in” didn’t get enough votes (right on Matt – you beat “Write-in”!):

Superior Court Judges Of The Superior Court – Position 26

Laura Gene Middaugh

74580

76.03%

Matthew R. Hale

23310

23.76%

Write-in

204

0.21

Superior Court election results here.Full election results here.

Election Day is coming up next Tuesday, Aug. 19th, and since 2004, 141 poll sites have been consolidated or closed due to accessibility problems or from being under-utilized.

In fact, since the 2004 election, 20 sites were moved or in some cases demolished or impacted by construction, affecting 17,221 poll voters.

Which brings up the question: Do you know where the heck you’ll be voting on Aug. 19th?

Voters affected by the change should receive a new registration card in the mail with the name of their new assigned poll site. If you are a voter affected by recent polling place changes, you may be voting in a different location than you have in the past.

Before Tuesday, Aug. 19, King County is urging voters to confirm the location of their assigned polling place either by calling the voter hotline at 206-296-VOTE or by visiting www.kingcounty.gov/elections and entering in their names and dates of birth or addresses in “Your Voter Guide” section (direct link here). This online tool is custom-designed for each voter with the location and map to his or her assigned poll site, sample ballot, and official candidate statements.

“We’re close to one week away from the primary and we want to make sure poll voters know where to vote on Aug. 19,” said Sherril Huff, Elections director.

In addition to receiving a letter and a new voter notification card with information about their new assigned polling place, voters affected by the most recent polling place closures and consolidations will also receive a phone call prior to Election Day reminding them of the closure. These phone calls will begin Tuesday, Aug. 12.

For a list of recently affected poll sites and precincts, click here.

At the weekly Burien Farmers Market or other events where we have our “live blogging” booth, we are often asked “how can I help to make The B-Town Blog more popular?” and we react with statements like:

• Tell everyone you know about it
• Email a link to it to everyone you know
• Post a link to an interesting story on the Craigslist “Rant & Rave” section
• Link to us from your blog/website
• Tell your friends with websites to link to us
  
• Tie your friends down, pry open their eyelids like that scene in “A Clockwork Orange” and force them to read it
  

To that list, we can now add this further self-serving assignment:

• Vote for The B-Town Blog as “Best Neighborhood Blog” on Seattle Weekly’s “Best Of” website!

The link is here, and in order to vote you have to type your name and email address in, with the assurance that you will not receive any spam.

The “Best Neighborhood Blog” choice is #12, and you do NOT have to vote on everything – however, in order for your vote to count, you MUST vote for at least five (5) categories.

Please note that the voting deadline is Friday, July 25th – so vote now, and vote often.

We would be humbled and honored to at least get some kind of notice, and we kindly ask for you to help us continue our growth!

Thanks,

Do ya ever wonder how to figure out if that glad-handin’, baby-kissin’, door-to-door knockin’ political candidate you’re thinking of voting for would make a good elected official?

And how does one judge a good judge? By the material of their cape or what?

The answers to those and other important political questions have been answered every year for the past 93 years thanks to the hard work and efforts of local citizens who participate in the Municipal League of King County’s candidate evaluation process.

Now is your chance to help your fellow citizens be well-informed before they vote.

In case you were wondering, the Municipal League of King County is a non-partisan organization dedicated to informed decision making and open government.  The Municipal League researches policy issues, evaluates candidates, communicates its findings and then mobilizes citizens to action when needed.  The group is made up of diverse citizens from throughout King County who are united by a commitment to good government.

The Municipal League is looking for volunteers to evaluate political candidates for a variety of public offices.  As a volunteer you will be asked to research work histories and references of candidates; interview candidates; and recommend candidate ratings. The final result is a Voter’s Guide designed to provide useful, nonpartisan information prior to the Aug. 21 primary.

Candidates are rated on four criteria:

• Involvement
• Character
• Effectiveness
• Knowledge

The league does not use partisan criteria and does not endorse candidates.  You will be asked to evaluate candidates only to determine their fitness for office.  This year, candidates throughout King County will be evaluated in races for the state legislature and judicial offices.

Having a group of volunteers with diverse backgrounds and views is important to ensuring high quality and unbiased candidate ratings.  Volunteers must be able to leave their political leanings  at the door.  Knowledge of or interest in local politics is a plus. Prior experience is not necessary. Volunteer work takes place throughout June.

For more information and applications contact the Municipal League at (206) 264-1070 or visit their website at www.munileague.org.

And remember… good government doesn’t just happen. Good government is the result of good people like you (the astute, intelligent reader of this here Blog) getting involved!