Your complete guide to Seattle's Nov. 4 election

Voting in King County

Voting is done by mail, although people can go to a county vote center if they need help. Ballots were mailed to registered voters in mid-October.

• Through Oct. 27, eligible voters can register or update their voter registration address online.
• After that, late registrations can still be processed in person at a vote center or county election office through 8pm on Election Day.

Lost your ballot or need a new one? You can request one online, or mark and print a digital ballot (plus a replacement envelope) and mail it in.

• Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 to be counted, or placed in an official drop box by 8pm on Election Day.

Seattle mayor: Bruce Harrell vs. Katie Wilson

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is seeking another four years leading the city, after previously serving three terms on the City Council. He faces Katie Wilson, a progressive organizer who got nearly 51% of the vote in the August primary.

• Wilson has criticized Harrell's record on homelessness and public safety, while Harrell has accused Wilson of lacking experience.

Go deeper:

• What most divides Seattle's mayoral candidates
• Pro-Harrell PAC raises $1M in Seattle mayor race
• Wilson tops 50% in Seattle mayoral primary vote
• Progressive upstarts shake up 2025 mayoral races

Seattle city attorney: Ann Davison vs. Erika Evans

City Attorney Ann Davison, who was elected in 2021 after unsuccessfully running for lieutenant governor as a Republican, is now being challenged from the left by former federal prosecutor Erika Evans.

• President Trump has loomed large in the race, with Evans arguing that she's the better candidate to stand up to the president, and Davison highlighting lawsuits she's recently filed against the federal administration on the city's behalf.

• Evans led Davison by more than 20 percentage points in the August primary, putting Davison on the defensive.

Go deeper:

• Seattle city attorney candidates clash over crime policy
• Seattle laws targeting drug use, prostitution take center stage in city attorney debate (KUOW)

Seattle City Council, Position 9: Sara Nelson vs. Dionne Foster

Dionne Foster, the former executive director of the Progress Alliance of Washington, is challenging Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson in the general election.

• The two candidates disagree on issues such as whether to impose a citywide capital gains tax; the recent authorization of more CCTV cameras; and how much housing density to allow in city neighborhoods.
• The position is citywide, so it will appear on the ballots of all Seattle voters.

Go deeper: Where council candidates Sara Nelson and Dionne Foster disagree most

Seattle City Council, District 2: Eddie Lin vs. Adonis Ducksworth

Adonis Ducksworth, a city transportation policy adviser, is competing against Eddie Lin, a lawyer in the city attorney's office, for the District 2 council seat vacated earlier this year by Tammy Morales.

• Whoever wins will serve the final two years of Morales' unexpired term.
• District 2 covers most of south Seattle, including Beacon Hill, Rainier Beach, Columbia City, the Chinatown-International District, Seward Park and Othello.

Go deeper:

• Lin, Ducksworth split on taxes in South Seattle council race
• Seattle City Council District 2 candidates talk taxes, housing and public safety (KUOW)

Seattle City Council, Position 8: Alexis Mercedes Rinck vs. Rachael Savage

Alexis Mercedes Rinck, arguably the most progressive member of the current Seattle City Council, is campaigning to keep the seat she won in a special election last fall.

• She's up against Rachael Savage, a Capitol Hill business owner, in the race for the citywide Position 8 council seat.
• While council races are nonpartisan, Savage is endorsed by the King County Republican Party, while Rinck identifies publicly as a Democrat.

Go deeper:

• From tax reform to National Guard intervention, here's what Pos. 8 candidates want for Seattle (KUOW)
• Race for citywide Seattle City Council seat focuses on housing, crime reduction and local businesses (KING 5)

King County executive: Girmay Zahilay vs. Claudia Balducci

Two County Council members are competing to become King County's first new executive in 16 years.

• Girmay Zahilay was elected to the King County Council in 2019.
• Claudia Balducci, a former Bellevue mayor, has served on the County Council for 10 years.

While the race between the two colleagues has been amicable, Balducci touts her experience as a major asset she brings to the table. She highlights her work to bring light rail to the Eastside, among other accomplishments.

• Zahilay, meanwhile, has cited his wide range of endorsements as proof that he can build the coalitions necessary to tackle big, complex problems.
• He also says his personal story — coming to the United States as a refugee at 3, experiencing homelessness and living in local public housing — has given him a deep understanding of the challenges many county residents face.

Go deeper:

• The most important King County election nobody is talking about (KUOW)
• King County will elect its first new executive since 2009
• Two progressives compete for the most powerful position in King County (KNKX)

Seattle Proposition 1: Education levy

The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy would raise $1.3 billion over six years to pay for child care programs, school-based health clinics, and higher education support.

• If it passes, it would expand the Seattle Preschool Program and double the number of affordable child care slots paid for by the city (from 600 to 1,400).
• The levy would also add five school-based health clinics, while extending a city program that guarantees all Seattle high school students two years of community college after they graduate.

The levy, if approved, would cost the owner of a median-value Seattle home about $656 per year through 2031.

• That's roughly double the cost of the current levy that is expiring, which comes in at about $300 for the median homeowner, according to city estimates.

Go deeper: Read the voter pamphlet statements

Seattle Proposition 2: Business tax changes

Prop. 2 would reduce business and occupation taxes for smaller companies in Seattle, while raising taxes on some of the city's largest businesses.

• If approved, it would raise an estimated $81 million per year in additional tax revenue for the city — a key piece of a plan to close a city budget shortfall that will exceed $140 million next year.

Go deeper: Seattle voters weigh business tax overhaul

Statewide ballot measure: Investing long-term care funds

Senate Joint Resolution 8201, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support earlier this year, would amend the state constitution to allow money in Washington's long-term care fund to be invested in the stock market.

• Supporters say the change would allow taxpayers' money to go further, while helping ensure the long-term stability of the state's long-term care program.
• That program, called WA Cares, is bankrolled through a 0.58% payroll tax. It helps pay for nursing care or other assistance people may need as they age, such as in-home health aides or home accessibility improvements.
• Opponents argue investing the public money in private companies would be too risky.

Go deeper:

• Debate on investing WA Cares funds in the stock market heats up (Washington State Standard)
• Washington voters to decide whether WA Cares fund can be invested in stocks (KING 5)

King County Proposition No. 1: Emergency Medical Services levy

This replacement levy would continue funding for emergency medical services for another six years.

• For a property valued at $844,000 — the median assessed value in King County this year — the levy would cost the owner a maximum of $211 in 2026, county officials estimate.
• No one submitted a statement opposing the measure for the county voter pamphlet.

School board races

Major changes could be coming to the board of Seattle Public Schools, with four of seven director seats up for election in November.

• The district is at a transition point, with a new superintendent slated to come on board soon and an estimated $87 million budget deficit to resolve for next year.

Go deeper:

• Seattle school board candidates weigh in: Cops on campus, budget, lunch and more (Seattle Times)
• Read statements from the candidates (Seattle's Child)

Port of Seattle

Incumbent port commissioners Hamdi Mohamed and Toshiko Grace Hasegawa are running unopposed.