It's Monday morning and your ballot should have arrived by now. You know, the one featuring the nine-way contest for mayor of Seattle.
The Basics
First off, answer any questions about mail-in voting, find drop-off ballot boxes, where to register (until July 29) if you’re haven't already and even track the receipt of your ballot through the King County Elections Office. It's also the office you should notify if your ballot hasn't arrived by Wednesday.
You can also click through to the comprehensive online voter's guide, which has info on each local race, including a countywide parks levy, city council races from Sea-Tac to Shoreline, Port of Seattle commissioners, school districts from Federal Way to Skykomish, a wastewater district in Shoreline and a water district in the Renton Highlands.
If you’re outside King County, check with your local auditor or elections office.
Seattle School Board
While Bellevue continues to earn national accolades for the quality of its schools, Seattle Public Schools seems saddled with lagging performance. And the system as a whole has suffered from in-fighting on the School Board, management miscues that led to the exit of a superintendent and questions about the board’s support for new Superintendent Jose Banda. Crosscut’s Alison Krupnick covers the primary races here.
The Contenders for Mayor
Crosscut has biographics of six of the main candidates here. We’ve also interviewed all eight candidates with active campaigns:
Joey Gray, "Joey Gray goes for the opportunity."
Bruce Harrell, "Harrell sees his chances, record as good."
Kate Martin, "Kate Martin's mayor run: Viaduct Park, ORCAs for all and a cadre of mentors.""
Mary Martin, "Viva la revolucion! Mary Martin's consistent voice for the working class."
Mike McGinn, "Mayor McGinn: Collaboration over cooperation."
Ed Murray, "Ed Murray takes primary aim at McGinn."
Charlie Staadecker, "Charlie Staadecker: A campaign to make Seattle better."
Peter Steinbrueck, "Peter Steinbrueck: A liberal in a sea of liberals"
You can find Doug McQuaid's statement on his candidacy in the county voters' guide.
Candidate websites
Find the candidates in their own words – and their own spin — on their individual websites, all of which are available through the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission web page.
Race Analysis
We have published a variety of commentary, news analysis and reports on the race, all on the Mayor Games page. Here are several highlights:
"Let's get some ideas into the barren mayor's race," by David Brewster.
"Seattle mayor candidates: Time to sharpen those elbows," by Knute Berger.
"The Mayor Games: Big transportation needs, little money," by Tom James.
"What's the mayor got to do with schools, anyway?" by Alison Krupnick.
