Early voting is open! Mail-in ballots have been sent out, and registration is still open for anyone needing to request a new ballot. As the Presidential race has everyone’s attention, the Thunderword wished to remind everyone that local decisions are also on the ballot this November.

King County has two District Court seats up for grabs, with two candidates, Rual Martinez in the Shoreline district and Peter Peaquin in the Northeast district, defending their current seats unopposed.

One Council seat is up for grabs: City Council Position no. 8, representing Burien, parts of Seattle, and Muary Island. Alexis Mercedes Rink and Tanya Woo have been campaigning in the eighth district to gain a place on the City Commission Council . 

The City of Des Moines is proposing a property tax raise to fund the increase of public safety services. 

The King County Voter Guide wrote, “If approved by voters, this proposition would authorize the city to levy property taxes in 2025 at the maximum of $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value… This would be an increase of approx. $20 per month (about $250 per year) on a $500,000 home.” 

Of course for property owners of higher value homes, the figures would increase in price. 

“The City Council anticipates that in 2025, the increase would fund retaining four existing police officer positions, a mental health crisis response specialist position, a crime analyst position; would fund adding four additional police officer positions and a code enforcement officer position.” 

An increase in the public safety sector would increase the size of the police force, as well as add differing resources when it comes to mental health. NeighborhoodScout, a crime analysis organization, ranks Des Moines six on the Total Crime Index (with 100 being the safest). 

Voters who reject this proposition cite the tax raise as the main opposition. Others are staunchly against funding of law enforcement. Retail workers in the area would largely support this proposition, as homeownership is largely out of reach, and reliable law enforcement can be life-saving in the area. 

The City of Seattle is proposing its own tax raise, but this time to allocate towards public transportation and the building and maintenance of new and old roads. The Washington Department of Transportation has years of projects scheduled out, with the One-Line light rail extending from Angle Lake to Federal Way in the coming years. 

University of Washington is hosting student engagement hubs at both Seattle and Tacoma campuses, providing on-campus election services and assistance. Registering online takes seconds and voters have the ability to request mail ballots to avoid adding stops to their schedule.

For anyone needing to register (or update their voter registration), visit to votewa.gov. Just know that the deadline to do so online is this Monday, Oct. 28. Mail in ballots can be requested. The USPS recommends mailing in filled ballots a week before the election to ensure they are delivered and counted in a timely manner.