Special Election Ballots Mailed To Seattle & Enumclaw Voters

SEATTLE — Roughly half a million King County voters will receive ballots in the mail by Monday for the February special election, and they will be due back by Valentine's Day.

Of the approximately 500,000 voters that can participate in the election, King County Elections said 478,000 are in Seattle, with the remaining voters living in Enumclaw. Both cities have a single ballot measure to consider.

In Seattle, voters will consider Initiative 135, which seeks to create a public authority to purchase, develop and maintain publicly-owned social housing projects for mixed income levels. House Our Neighbors, the group behind the measure, launched a campaign to get on the ballot last March but failed to secure signatures in time to make the November ballot.

The group was granted an extra 20 days to come up with the needed signatures and the Seattle City Council approved the resolution to appear in the February special election.

In Enumclaw, voters will see Proposition 1, a $253 million bond measure meant to fund the construction of a new elementary school, performing arts center, and athletic complex. It would also provide funding t replace Byron Kibler Elementary and an early learning center at JJ smith, along with districtwide security and infrastructure upgrades.

King County Elections mailed ballots out to both cities on Wednesday, and all eligible voters should have them no later than Monday. Officials are projecting 33 percent turnout for the election.

Like with standard elections, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Feb. 14, or placed in an official dropbox by 8 p.m. Nearly three dozen drop boxes will be open around the clock until the deadline. Voters who need to register or amend their information online have through Feb. 8 to do so, and in-person service will be available until the polls close at King County Elections headquarters in Renton.

Separately, most King County voters are eligible to participate in the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors election.

Here are some resources from King County Elections:

• Measures on the ballot
• Elections website
• Register to vote
• Online voter registration - VoteWA
• Print a voter registration form
• Renton Vote Center at Elections HQ
• Directions to King County Elections
• Ballot tracker
• Ballot drop box locations
• Contact Elections for assistance
• King Conservation District election