Elections

No labels: Some election overseers want to make their offices nonpartisan to inspire greater trust

Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That's one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State. Nonpartisan challenger Julie Anderson wants to make the job independent from political party affiliations. Her opponent, Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs says it's an unnecessary change. County auditors and sheriffs associations are also chewing over party labels and what those labels convey about the leanings of their offices.

Hear it again: the promises and pitfalls of ranked choice voting

The Seattle City Council put ranked choice voting on the general election ballot, giving voters the choice of changing the way elections are conducted for the mayor, city council members, and city attorney.

Murray and Smiley clash over the issues in Spokane debate

The debate took place at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Murray is campaigning to keep her job representing Washington state in the U.S. Senate, which she has held for nearly 30 years. Smiley has been running on that fact, calling Murray a career politician. Sunday night's debate showed just how far apart the two candidates are on the issues.

A Trump-ey political fight in SW Washington

Moderate Republican voters are taking center stage in Washington’s third congressional district. Trump-backed Republican Joe Kent and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez are both vying for those votes. The race is getting national attention because the outcome could sway which party holds control of the house of representatives. Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Troy Brynelson tells us how each candidate is making their case, and how voters are responding.

Northwest GOP candidates hope to ride tough-on-crime message for success in November

Week in Review: politics, elections, and tech

Bill Radke discusses the week’s news with freelance journalist Joanne Silberner, Seattle Times Patrick Malone, and Puget Sound Business Journal’s Alex Halverson

Battle for the 8th

Just outside Seattle in Washington’s 8th district, there’s a tight race playing out in the midterms. Democratic incumbent Kim Schrier is up against Republican Matt Larkin for a seat that could shift control of Congress. Historically the 8th has voted red, but that changed in 2018 with Schrier's win, and now it looks like it's up for grabs again. KUOW political reporter David Hyde is here to bring us up to speed on this race.

Why the wave of voting reform measures in the Northwest?

A Northwest politics roundup as the 2022 election draws near

We’re just under a week out from the 2022 midterm election on Nov. 8. You’ve got until Tuesday at 8 p.m. to get that ballot into a drop box, or postmarked and in the mail. And if you’re wading through debates, political mailers, and some pretty scary attack ads, don’t panic. KUOW politics reporter David Hyde is here to help.

Educators use mock elections to teach students 'people can disagree and remain civil'

Advisory votes, referendums and initiatives, the difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate, there's a lot to learn if you plan on voting and school is one place to get that information.