South End Guides | Getting the Vote Out for You and Your Community
Election season is in full swing, and this is a big one! Why? The race between presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is head-to-head, positions for governor, attorney general, and other key state and local positions are open, not to mention four spicy state initiatives. Amidst the barrage of information we’re pummeled with, which may make us want to escape to our weakness of choice, one thing is clear: The choices we claim for the record with our ballots for national and local leadership and issues matter. They will determine what is protected, funded, and explored — or is not.
The Emerald will be working alongside you in sorting through the information and muddling over the layers of graveness, absurdity, comedy, and humanity with you! We have a series of election pieces to come, and we’re kicking it off with this general election edition of our South End Guides, offering some resources this season for getting involved, getting your vote out, and helping your friends/family/community weigh in with their ballots!
KEY ELECTION DATES
Oct. 11: Washington State mails voters’ pamphlets for state and federal elections
Oct. 15: King County mails voters’ pamphlets
Oct. 16:
King County mails ballots.
Elections Headquarters opens at 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, to assist with in-person needs.
Oct. 17: Ballot drop boxes open
Oct. 14 and 21: King County posts ballot return statistics by 8 p.m.
Oct. 28: Last day to register or update your registration online or by mailfor the Nov. 5 general election.
Nov. 2 and Nov. 4–5: All King County Elections vote centers open, offering assistance to voters for registration and voting.
Nov. 5: General Election Day!
Place your ballot in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
If you’re mailing in your ballot, it must be postmarked by this day.
Deadline for Washington State voter registration or updates (in person only at vote centers).
Get Informed
Check trusted resources for articles about initiatives and candidates and look at endorsements. Here are some sites that prompt you with things to think about as you consume information during this season:
7 Ways to Protect Yourself From Misinformation
How to Avoid Falling for Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories
You can subscribe to King County elections updates for the latest voting news and updates.
Guides.Vote is a non-partisan resource providing information on where national and state candidates stand on issues. Veteran journalists who produce this resource offer links to credible sources for the information.
Ballotpedia is an online resource for information on elections, government, and politics.
The League of Women Voters offers Vote411. When you input your address, Vote 411 populates a page of candidates in your district with their stances on issues.
King County voters’ pamphlets will be mailed out to residents on Oct. 15. This disclaimer is on the King County webpage for voters’ pamphlets “King County Elections does not edit or fact-check candidate or measure statements and is not responsible for their content.”
TVW offers a Video Voter’s Guide of candidates and stances on initiatives in Washington.
Accessible resources for advocates through ARC of King County offer “easy read” information, making voter information in an easier-to-understand format. This and the Video Voters’ Guide are helpful for voters with disabilities or limited reading skills.
Washington State Public Disclosure Commission offers financial disclosure data for political candidates, elected officials, lobbyists, and committees. The Federal Elections Commission also offers candidate finance data.
Find out which areas of King County have the highest rate of voter turnout and highest voter registration rates using interactive GIS maps.
You can walk into your local library to ask for more resources or call The Seattle Public Library’s “Ask Us” line at 206-386-4636 or King County Library System’s helpline at 800-462-9600.
Events:
Wing Luke Museum hosts a free Voting Party on Saturday, Oct. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Register to vote and learn about ballot measures. There will be raffle prizes and giveaways, and you can learn about the work of artist Aram Han Sifuentes, who created a voting booth piece in the museum’s “We Can Be Heroes: Voting and Beyond” exhibit. Language support services will be available.
Seattle Public Library and the King County Library System is hosting a series of election information events.
Watch ballots processing and counting at King County Elections Headquarters.
Get Involved in Getting the Vote Out
Your social media blasts can help get the vote out. Here’s King County Elections’ social media toolkit for getting people out to vote.
Maybe you have a space where people gather? Maybe you can ask the place you go to grab a cup of joe to post King County Elections’ signs and handouts to inform people about how to vote.
This King County Elections Community Voter Education Toolkit offers information on how to register and what you can do to encourage others to vote. This way, if someone is feeling like they can’t vote or wants to start the process, the community can be ready to help.
Some other resources for education and outreach to your community can be found through King County Elections.
Some Organizations for Getting Involved in This Year’s Election Season
This year may mark the first year ever that you’ve felt the need to get everyone who can to vote, and you want to ensure a free and safe election. You’re not alone. Many civic engagement organizations are seeing a marked rise in participation. Here are some local groups that work to get the vote out.
Trek the Vote (non-partisan) states they are a “team of thousands of ‘Starfleet officers’ volunteer with our (non-partisan) partner organizations to support voting rights, improve election transparency, and help elections administrators meet their staffing needs.”
League of Women Voters (non-partisan) was born out of the suffrage movement and has been an organization promoting civic engagement and a more informed public. They organize candidate forums and discussions around initiatives, as well as coordinate voter registration events throughout the region.
Common Power (partisan) is a BIPOC-led and -run organization to “mobilize volunteers for voters around the country.” They train the community in how to organize together, in person, to increase civic engagement and build leadership with a social lens. They organize groups to fly out to swing states, canvass, and knock on doors. (They also may have funds to cover costs for some.)
Washington Bus (partisan) is an organization led and run by young people to build the next generation of leadership and promote political access for young people. The Bus organizes phone-banking and other issues-related events.
One America (non-partisan) supports our immigrant community. It was originally founded by U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal as a Hate-Free Zone in 2001.”We work to build and educate a powerful immigrant voter base by registering and mobilizing people like us to vote.”
Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment (APACE) (non-partisan) is dedicated to legislative advocacy and civic engagement.
How The Vote Can Meet You Where You Are
The following resources offer information for eligible voters on how to register and vote, based on needs you may have at this time.
Pre-register to vote. If you’re 16 or 17 years old and pre-register to vote, you’re set to automatically be registered at 18.
U.S. citizens living abroad or serving abroad in the military can access voting here.
If you’re out of town and won’t be home to receive your ballot, here’s what you can do. Scroll down to “How to get your ballot if you are out of town.”
If you’ve had a felony, your voting rights are restored as soon as you leave prison, even if you’re on community supervision (as of 2022).
Voting From Jail: If you are in jail because you have been charged but not convicted, you may be able to vote. Disability Rights Washington has experience (because of the large number of people with disabilities who are incarcerated) with helping voters in county jails.
The unhoused community can vote. The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness offers this flier.
Many domestic violence survivors may not feel safe voting because their address becomes public record when registering to vote. The Address Confidentiality Program helps those who have been stalked or have experienced domestic violence, human trafficking, or sexual abuse to keep their records confidential.
Disabilities: Maybe you have special voting needs due to a disability such as a visual impairment or mental disability or limited literacy. In these cases you might be depending on the honesty of the person helping you. For people with limited literacy levels, reading ballots or learning about the issues might be a barrier. They may be concerned that the person assisting them in voting might either try to talk them out of their choice or fill in the oval next to a candidate they didn’t choose.
David Lord, who’s worked with Disability Rights Washington, is a voter advocate and says, “[a] person may need assistance with filling out the ballot because the person has an intellectual or reading disability, a brain injury, or limited proficiency in the language used on the ballot. In addition, some people with cerebral palsy, brain injuries, neurological disabilities, and other conditions may not be able to manipulate the printed ballot or use a pen to mark it. Of course, this is not always the case for all individuals with these disabilities. Many can vote independently and privately, with no assistance.
“Accessible voting units (‘AVU’) are a means by which a person with limited vision or dexterity can cast a ballot. These are computers with various options, including audio, large print displays, etc. that a person can use when voting.” The AVUs are available at King County vote centers (open Nov. 2, 4, and 5).
Here are sites with voting resources for people with disabilities:
Disability Rights Washington provides a list of more resources
The Arc of King County offers an easy-to-read guide to voting and a helpful video.
For community members who help people with disabilities, Disability Rights Washington has created guidelines in their document, Assisting Voters With Disabilities.
Language can be a barrier to voting, and there are many groups in our community here to help with language services during this time.
There are many, many more languages spoken in our region than the seven listed above. Organizations like the ones below coordinate language services to educate and support voters.
These are just some of the resources in our region having to do with this year’s full and intense election season. Embrace this election season and what it means for our collective future, and get out the vote!
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