by Vee Hua 華婷婷
Nov. 7 is Election Day, meaning there's about a week left to vote. This year's elections include races for King County and City of Seattle Councilmembers as well as a number of ballot initiatives.
Ballots and local Voters' Pamphlets are available in Chinese, English, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, or Vietnamese. You can also sign up for ballot alerts via email or text; opt in at KCE.Wiki/TrackMyBallot.
Registering to vote is easy. See King County Elections' website for more information.
Vote centers are also available for anyone who needs assistance. Visitors can also register to vote at these centers by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Elections staff will be available at each location, along with assistive devices as well as audio or large-print ballots.
In King County, vote by mail means in the comfort and privacy of your own home. No stamp is needed, but mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 7. Turn completed ballots in early for them to be counted by Election Day and early vote returns!
If you want to register in advance next year, you can register online or by mail up until 8 days before an election.
If you need a replacement ballot, King County's Online Ballot Marking Program (OBMP) allows you to print your ballot on your own. It also serves voters with disabilities, including blind and low-vision voters. Everyone's ballots can be accessed online at KingCounty.gov/Elections/obmp.
Ballot drop boxes are also now open at 80 locations across the city. They will be open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. sharp on Nov. 7.
The newest drop box location is at Bothell Library, which was formerly located at Bothell City Hall.
"Drop boxes are key to accessible elections here in King County and Washington State," said King County Elections Director Julie Wise. "Constructed of half-inch thick steel, bolted directly into concrete, equipped with multiple locking mechanisms and with tamper evident seals, drop boxes are not only convenient, but also secure."
Find a list and interactive map of all the drop box locations in King County on King County Elections' website.
According to the King County Elections website, almost any adult who is a:
Voting rights have been restored for Washington State voters who have served a prison sentence. Those who have been released from prison must re-register to vote to use their voting rights. For more detailed information for voters with a felony conviction or people without a residential address, check the King County Elections website.
Individuals who are 16 and 17 years old can also sign up to be automatically registered to vote when they're eligible through the Future Voter program.
Due to the potential presence of drug-resistant bacterias, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recalling eye drops, or artificial tears, from a number of brands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since May 15, 81 patients across 18 states have contacted the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has been linked to at least four deaths, 14 cases of blindness, and four instances where users' eyeballs have been removed.
The recalled products have been sold under the following brands:
Users are advised to immediately dispose of these products and contact their eye doctor, especially if they have noticed an increase in light sensitivity, sudden change in vision, or redness. The FDA notes that these particular products have not yet been linked to negative outcomes, but that the products are being recalled out of an abundance of caution.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) has announced an upcoming request for applications (RFA) for their 2024 Community Forest Grant Assistance Program. With a total of $7 million in funding, the grant awards for each project will range between $10,000 to $350,000.
The grant focus for 2024 is on Tree Equity, and the next grant cycle is designed to support the "planning, growth, and maintenance of trees in Washington's urban areas." Eligible parties include cities, towns, counties, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and special taxing districts with this focus. Applicants across Washington State are invited to apply; half of all funding for this grant will be reserved for "communities with at least one census tract containing high environmental health disparities."
Grants will be accepted through Jan. 8, 2024, and the project recipients will be announced in the spring. Full details can be seen on WA DNR's one-pager.
The DNR Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program works in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Since 2008, the UCF has administered 200 grants, totaling over $2.6 million, to support projects around tree canopy assessment, urban forestry, tree planning, tree inventory, education, and much more.
Interested parties will find the entire text of the RFA on the website, along with an amendment to the RFA about procedural steps.
Webinars have been held to share information about the grants, including eligibility, WA DNR's intentions for the 2024 grant cycle, and tips for preparing to apply. Please register or view the recordings, or view a map of WA DNR's grant investments with this program since 2008.
Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a long-time member of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. They have a master's in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
📸 Featured Image: Photo courtesy of King County Elections.
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