The last Seattle and King County election cycle was a big one. The 2024 general election had huge races for the offices of president and governor. This encouraged 81.10% of eligible voters in King County to fill out their ballots and place their votes. Presidential elections are a big attention grabber and encourage people to look at a ballot and the other issues at hand.
However, on the years when there is not a presidential election or a midterm election, eligible voter turnout in King County is disappointingly low. The voter turnout in the November 2023 general election was 37.86%, an almost 40% difference from the 2024 general election.
What does this say about King County at large? From the numbers, there appears to be a lack of excitement to vote on more local issues. Less on the ballot usually means less voters. In the most recent primary back in August about only 8% of younger voters from the ages of 18-24 voted. In comparison, over 36% of voters 65 and older voted.
So, what is on the ballot this year? This year is a particularly important year for Seattle because of the multiple city council seats up for grab and the city attorney and mayoral races.
Two of the three city council seats in the election this year are at-large positions. This means that two of the seats is decided by the entire city and not just one district. The other seat belongs to district two, located in South Seattle.
This year, Seattle’s mayor Bruce Harrel will be competing for his office against newcomer Katie Wilson. Both mayoral candidates are running with a big emphasis on housing. Both want to develop better and more affordable housing to support those who need it. The current city attorney, Ann Davison, will be running against former assistant U.S. attorney Erika Evans. Both the mayor and city attorney will be fighting for their offices this year against strong opponents.
These races are so important for voters to vote for because they not only determine who the city’s next leaders are, but what they want the city to look like in two or three years. Voters are not only voting for a person, but they are also voting for what they stand for. This election will determine what the future of the city will be
