As most of us know, whether we voted as Washington residents or not, the United States recently held general elections on November 7th. As college students at the UW who have recently gained independence and freedom, it is exceptionally important that we not only participate in our right to vote, but that we practice informed, critical thinking when choosing who we wish to represent us in government.
The majority of governmental positions in Washington are held by Democrats, which should come as no surprise considering the state is overwhelmingly liberal. Votes are still being accounted for, and are expected to be officially certified on December 7th, a month after they were gathered. Seattle, the city in which the UW is situated, has seven different districts for which voters must select a council representative, and also included a proposition (for which 69.2% of voters voted in favor of) on its ballot that would replace the Seattle Housing Levy and provide housing and services to those with low incomes (including seniors, families, those with disabilities, and those without a home). The current winning representatives for Seattle districts are as follows:
District 1 (West Seattle, Delridge, and South Park), Maren Costa; District 2 (International District and Rainier Beach), Tammy Morales; District 3 (Capitol Hill, the Central District, Montlake, and Madison Valley), Joy Hollingsworth; District 4 (University District, Wallingford and northeast Seattle), Maritza Rivera; District 5 (North Seattle), Cathy Moore; District 6 (Briarcliff, Magnolia, Ballard, Loyal Heights, Green Lake, and Fremont), Dan Strauss, and District 7 (Queen Anne, South Lake Union, Downtown, Belltown, southeast Magnolia, and Interbay), Bob Kettle.
The majority of these representatives are new members of the city council (with only Strauss and Morales as incumbents). It has been largely expressed that the general public has not been happy with the work of the Seattle Council and would like the representatives to take new measures in policing drugs, fighting homelessness, and striving for climate change. As college students living in a new place (with many of us from out of state), we should make it a top priority to not only stay informed of the political advances of the city in which we live, but be active participators in inducing change. For more information on the Seattle general elections, visit https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/11/live-updates-2023-washington-general-election-results
To register to vote as a Washington resident, visit https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx?ref=voteusa_en