Democrats need just one more seat in the Washington state Senate and another in the state House to attain supermajorities that would give them even more power in Olympia.

Why it matters: If Democrats win 60% of seats in both chambers in next week's election, they could pass bonds to pay for major transportation and construction projects without Republican votes, further reducing the GOP's bargaining power at the state Capitol.

Flashback: The last time Democrats had those kinds of numbers was in 2010, according to state legislative records.

State of play: Democrats now control the state House 58-40 and the state Senate 29-20.

• With all 98 state House seats and about half of state Senate seats on the ballot, here's what we're watching most closely.

Redistricting fallout

Republicans are fighting to hold onto control of central Washington's 14th Legislative District, which recently had its boundaries redrawn after a federal judge ruled the earlier district lines violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

• Democrats now think they have a good shot of picking up seats there — especially since three incumbent Republicans were drawn out of the district, leading to two open state House seats.
• More than $1.2 million in outside money has flowed into the district's state Senate race, in which Democrat Maria Beltran is trying to unseat state Sen. Curtis King (R-Yakima), who moved so he'd stay in the district.

Trump's effect in the suburbs

Republicans were nearly wiped out in the King County suburbs in 2018, during former President Trump's time in the White House.

• Now, Democrats hope to capitalize on Trump's unpopularity among suburban voters as they try to pick up seats in several other swing districts, state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, a Seattle Democrat who chairs state Senate Democrats' campaign committee, told Axios.

Republicans, meanwhile, are hoping their voters turn out to support four statewide ballot initiatives.

Go deeper

As Seattleites gear up for "The Big Dark" that'll come when daylight saving time ends on Nov. 3, fine-tuning sleep habits now can be a mood and mental health game changer, experts say. 

Why it matters: Making small shifts in bedtime routines starting today means fewer groggy mornings next week, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). 

How it works: Every night for the next few days, go to bed 15 minutes later than usual.  

• Set clocks back one hour in the early evening on Saturday instead of Sunday.
• Head outdoors for early morning sunlight on Sunday and as often as possible next week, as the bright light will help set your internal clock to the new time, per AASM.

Yes, but: You can also stick to your regular routine, according to UW Medicine's Vishesh Kapur.

• Go to bed at your usual time on Saturday, rather than staying up an extra hour and sleeping in the next day.
• You'll get the same amount of sleep as you normally would and minimize the time change jet lag in the following days, he says. 

 Zoom in: On Sunday, the sun will rise at 6:57am and set at 4:47pm. We won't see another post-5pm sunset until January. 

Read more

🚊 Lynnwood's light rail is a hit, but the station's 1,900 parking spaces fill up fast, leaving some frustrated would-be riders to hit the road instead. (Seattle Times)

🗳️ King County elections officials are starting to collect ballots from drop boxes more often, after fires at two drop boxes in Vancouver and Portland damaged hundreds of ballots earlier this week. (Seattle Times)

Starbucks is threatening to fire employees who don't follow the company's policy of working in the office three days a week. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

In most of the years I've lived in Seattle, not a single trick-or-treater has come to my door on Halloween. Recent population data may help explain why.

By the numbers: In King County, children ages 5-14 make up 11.1% of the population, according to data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 

• That's lower than the statewide average, which was 12.3%, and the national average of 12.5%.

Zoom in: Seattle ranks No. 1 among large metro areas when it comes to the percentage of residents who are married with pets, but no kids, The Seattle Times reported this week.

• 13.5% of the Seattle area population consists of married couples with a dog or cat and no children, per the Times' analysis, which looked at Nielsen data.

Yes, but: Trick-or-treater density likely depends on your neighborhood. 

• After I moved from Fremont to the Central District last year, I had many more trick-or-treaters lined up at my door.

The bottom line: It's good to have some candy on hand.

Tell a neighbor

Look to the north on an island green

Where the waves of Puget Sound glisten and gleam.

Near a spit named for a president's grace,

This park holds historic roots in place.

You'll see mountains — two volcanos in view,

And on clear days, a skyline, too.

Sold by a healer who learned at the U,

This shore invites campers and paddlers like you.

Send your guesses by replying to this email or reach out to us at [email protected] — and be sure to let us know if you're willing to be featured in the newsletter.