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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Politics / City Let's Say You Lost Your Ballot, or a Glitch with the Mail Means You Never Got It, or It's Lunchtime and You Know You Won't Make It Home in Time to Get it Filled Out and Postmarked

Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 12:07 PM

The good people of King County elections would still love for you to cast your vote, and have made it pretty easy, and (lucky you) there is no one in line at the "accessible voting" location inside Union Street Station at 401 S. Jackson Street.

I got there this morning and had the help of a dozen election workers to myself. Walked into the station, found the room (to the right), filled out a brief form, showed my ID, got a magnetized card to plug into a machine, and was led to a touchscreen voting station where it took about three seconds to vote for Mike McGinn, Dow Constantine, no on I-1033, approve Ref-71, etc.—print out The Stranger's full endorsements and take it with you. Then I got to read a printout of my selections to make sure the machine got everything right. Then I pressed a button that said "Cast your ballot." While there, exactly two other people showed up to vote. One of them was another guy who'd lost his ballot. The other was Rusty Williams, who ran for city council this year but didn't make it through the primary, who walked into the polling place saying, "Where is everybody?" We're right here, one of the election workers said back. "No, no, the customers!" Williams said, laughing.

The election workers were so relaxed/friendly/unbusy I asked a tableful who they were voting for. "We're non-partisan," one of them said. She was doing a crossword puzzle. "Within these walls," she added.

Another chimed in, "We just want people to vote."

If your ballot's at home, just go to Union Station to do it. (If you're elsewhere in King County, you can also go to Bellevue City Hall or the elections office in Tukwila—there's a map here.) It's so easy. And it's going to be a close election. And you know how beautiful Union Station is, right?

It's open til 8 pm, though they expect it'll become a madhouse after 5 pm. GO!

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Comments (16) RSS

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I'm agitated to no end that we got stuck with King Street. I don't care if it has a clock tower! Look at it! It's an undersized crapshack!

Sound Transit gets to have offices in the far more beautiful and functional Union Station? SCREW YOU GUYS.

Posted by Baconcat on November 3, 2009 at 12:11 PM

I was just there to drop off my ballot in the drop box. Still no lines.

Baconcat, King Street Station is being renovated.

Posted by kitschnsync on November 3, 2009 at 12:23 PM

You know in Idaho you can register to vote on Election Day.

And in Canada.

How backwards we are ...

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 3, 2009 at 12:23 PM

@2: Yes, I know, and it looks more like an old moviehouse rather than a grand dame of western rail depots.

Posted by Baconcat on November 3, 2009 at 12:36 PM

Huh. Maybe you will like it when it is done. After all, they are (mostly) going to restore it to its original features.

It's already better than it was. At least the clock works now.

Posted by kitschnsync on November 3, 2009 at 12:52 PM

i went to tukwila this morning because i never received my ballot, and they were so nice and so quick! i wish their website was better laid out though so i had known i could've gone to union station...the website made it seem as though for provisional ballots, i would have to go to tukwila. or maybe i read it wrong. who knows.

Posted by Cook on November 3, 2009 at 1:06 PM

Thanks for the heads up on this. I am at work in downtown feeling a little despair i might not get to vote as my ballot is at home.

Posted by Packeteer on November 3, 2009 at 1:09 PM

Definitely go, Packeteer. And get a coffee while you're there. That's an espresso stand in the far right corner of the interior photo--an espresso stand that apparently no one knows about.

Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on November 3, 2009 at 1:17 PM

Do they do any election day specials at the espresso stand?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 3, 2009 at 1:47 PM

still no lines. voted 5 minutes ago.

Posted by diminished on November 3, 2009 at 2:11 PM

If you call them, they will also email you a ballot that you can simply take to your local post office to get postmarked by tonight.

Posted by Jaye on November 3, 2009 at 2:22 PM

i have my completed ballot here at work with me. how long do i have to drop it in the ballard drop box?

Posted by wvvjoevvw on November 3, 2009 at 2:36 PM

*Union Street* is about 11 blocks north of *Union Station!* The building is called Union Station. Not Union Street Station!

Did you just move here last week?

Posted by Weekilter on November 3, 2009 at 3:53 PM

@12 - till 8 pm but don't quote me. those places normally close at 4 pm. If it is closed take it to Union Station (grab the 15 or 18).

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 3, 2009 at 4:05 PM

15 Comment Pulled

@13 -- I just moved here... 11 years ago. But I was born yesterday.

You will be much relieved to know that the typo (if you can call your fingers typing extra words you do not intend to type a typo) has been corrected.

Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on November 3, 2009 at 5:24 PM