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Ballot measures
November 8, 2022 General and Special Election
Proposition Nos. 1A and 1B
Proposition 1A (submitted by Initiative Petition No. 134) and Proposition 1B (alternative proposed by the City Council and Mayor) concern allowing voters to select multiple candidates in City primary elections.
Proposition 1A (Initiative 134) would allow voters in primary elections for Mayor, City Attorney, and City Council to select on the ballot as many candidates as they approve of for each office. The two candidates receiving the most votes for each office would advance to the general election, consistent with state law. The City would consult with King County to include instructions on the primary ballot such as “vote for AS MANY as you approve of” for each office.
As an alternative, the Seattle City Council and Mayor have proposed Proposition 1B (Ordinance 126625), which would allow primary election voters for Mayor, City Attorney, and City Council to rank candidates by preference. In the first round of processing, each voter’s top preference would be counted. The candidate receiving the fewest would be eliminated. Successive rounds of counting would eliminate one candidate each round, counting each voter’s top preference among remaining candidates, until two candidates remain to proceed to the general election. King County would include instructions on the ballot for voters.
1. Should either of these measures be enacted into law?
Yes
No
2. Regardless of whether you voted yes or no above, if one of these measures is enacted, which one should it be?
Proposition 1A
Proposition 1B
This measure presents voters with two questions regarding voting in City primary elections.
The first question is whether either of two alternative propositions should be adopted, both of which would change the current voting system in City primary elections by allowing each voter to select multiple candidates instead of a single candidate. The second question is which of the two alternative propositions should be adopted.
If a majority of voters vote “No” on the first question, then neither proposition will be adopted. If a majority of voters vote “Yes” on the first question, then the proposition receiving the greater number of votes in the second question will be adopted. Voters may vote on the second question regardless of their vote on the first question. The current voting procedures in City primary elections, and the effect of each proposition if adopted, are described below.
State law requires a local jurisdiction to hold a primary election as a means of winnowing candidates for public office to a final list of two who then advance to the general election. Currently, City procedures allow voters to select only one candidate for each office on the ballot. The votes are counted, and the two candidates receiving the most votes for each office proceed to the general election.
Proposition 1A and Proposition 1B would require new procedures for winnowing the candidates for Mayor, City Council, and City Attorney.
Proposition 1A would implement “approval voting.” Approval voting ballots would show a list of the candidates for each office. Voters would be able to vote for one or more candidates on the ballot for each office. All votes would be counted. The two candidates receiving the most votes for each office would advance to the general election.
Proposition 1B would implement “ranked choice voting.” Ranked choice voting ballots would show a list of the candidates for each office. Voters who wish to select more than one candidate for an office would rank candidates in order of preference – first, second, and so on. In the first round of counting votes, the candidate with the fewest top preferences would be eliminated. In the next round, each ballot would be counted for the voter’s top preference among remaining candidates, after which the candidate with the fewest of those preferences would be eliminated. This process would continue until there are two candidates remaining, who then advance to the general election.
Statement in favor
Seattle deserves to be represented by leaders who reflect the will of the people. However, our current “choose-one” primary limits voters’ choices. Often, voters are unhappy with the top-two winners they must choose between in the General Election. Proposition 1 helps solve this problem.
In “choose-one” elections, voters can only mark one candidate on their ballot, even if they like more than one. Voters must decide who to vote for based on how others will vote and whether or not they think a candidate can win. If you’ve ever dismissed candidates on your ballot because you didn’t think they had a shot at winning, you’ve experienced this frustration. You should be able to vote for the candidates you like, and know your vote will matter.
Seattle voters have a history of making improvements to our democracy. We lead the nation with non-partisan primaries and the voter-enacted Democracy Voucher program. The next step is to make the primary itself give more voice to all voters.
Democracy’s promise is that each of us has the freedom to choose the leaders who best reflect our values. Let’s take another step towards a Seattle government that represents us all. Vote “Yes” on Proposition 1.
Submitted by: George Cheung, Logan Bowers
Statement in favor of Prop 1A - Approval Voting
Proposition 1A, or Approval Voting, is a simple change that empowers voters. It lets you vote for all the candidates you support in primary elections, instead of just one. Just like today, the two candidates with the most votes advance.
Proposition 1A means true representation. When you can support multiple candidates, every candidate will compete for your support. Candidates must propose policies that are popular with voters. Approval Voting will make our leaders accountable to underrepresented groups they'd usually ignore. In St. Louis, a majority-minority city, voters made history by electing the first-ever Black woman as mayor using Approval Voting.
According to election experts, Approval Voting winners represent voters better than any other election system. That’s why election reform groups like Equal Vote Coalition and The Center for Election Science support it.
Proposition 1A is fast and free to implement. Because Approval Voting is so simple, the ballot does not change. City Council-proposed Proposition 1B uses a complex system that would cost $3 million more per election and take until 2027 to implement. St. Louis implemented Approval Voting in 4 months. In Seattle, Approval Voting could be used as soon as 2023. Vote 1A – Representation and accountability in 2023!
Submitted by: Logan Bowers, Sarah Ward, Troy Davis, seattleapproves.org
Statement in favor of Prop 1B - Ranked Choice Voting
Ranked-choice voting is a better, fairer way to vote: voters have more voice and more choice. No matter who you are, or what part of Seattle you call home, we know our democracy works best when everyone is fully heard. More women and people of color run for office and win in ranked-choice voting races, which is why it’s the fastest growing non-partisan voting reform in the United States.
Ranked-choice voting allows you to rank candidates in order of preference: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. If your favorite can’t win, your vote counts for your next choice.
By contrast, approval voting is untested. It’s experimental, and yet, has already proven to be bad for voters - devolving quickly and disenfranchising minority communities. It may even pose a Washington Voting Rights Act violation. Ranked-choice voting’s benefits are clear: better leaders and a less gridlocked government.
The League of Women Voters Seattle - King County, the Northwest Progressive Institute, and dozens of community organizations have endorsed ranked-choice voting. Seattle will be better served when voters have more influence and elect politicians who focus on solutions. Vote yes to changing how we elect our leaders and yes for ranked-choice voting.
Submitted by: Mary Nguyen, Girmay Zahilay, Sally Bagshaw, rcv4seattle.org
With urgent issues facing our city and nation, now isn’t the time to experiment with unproven changes to Seattle’s elections. Both “ranked choice” and “approval” voting, presented without meaningful community engagement, would create unnecessary cost and confusion at a time when Seattle is finally making progress addressing homlessmess and public safety, and city leadership is historically diverse.
Voters should reject this forced choice between opposing options and demand honest discussion of voting reforms, and the $4 million taxpayer cost to run these elections (City of Seattle). Ranked choice was tried and rejected in nearby Pierce County, and used in just a handful of jurisdictions nationwide. Approval voting is only used in St. Louis and Fargo, ND. Impacts of both include longer election counts, greater expense, and elevation of fringe candidates. Alaska’s ranked choice primary has positioned Sarah Palin in an election where ”name recognition, not issues, seems set to be the deciding factor” (WSJ).
Seattle is known for fair elections, strong registration and participation, and innovations like Democracy Vouchers. Engaging younger, more diverse voters doesn’t happen by imposing confusing changes in balloting– it comes from relationships and trust, giving people a reason to make their voices heard.
Please Vote No.
Submitted by: Ollie Garrett, Pete Hanning, Theo Martin, info@seattleelectionsimplicity.com
Rebuttal of statement in opposition
Special interest groups and insiders don’t want better elections, but voters do. Proposition 1 puts voters first. You deserve to vote for the candidates you like, and know your vote matters.
Proposition 1 represents years of community engagement and voter support. 43,000+ Seattleites signed a 2022 petition to make this happen. Voters know that our primaries don’t always lead to the strongest candidates in November. That’s why 40+ jurisdictions nationwide have embraced better elections.
Submitted by: George Cheung, Logan Bowers
Rebuttal of statement in favor of Prop 1B - Ranked Choice Voting
Approval Voting ensures that the two candidates supported by the most voters are on your ballot in November. After St. Louis adopted Approval Voting, winning candidates needed twice as much community support as previous elections. Mayor Tishaura Jones’ historic victory was built on a foundation of support from minority groups.
With Proposition 1A, candidates must care about every voter, including under-represented voters and voters they’d usually ignore. Empower all voters - Vote 1A!
Submitted by: Logan Bowers, Sarah Ward, Troy Davis, seattleapproves.org
Rebuttal of statement in favor of Prop 1A - Approval Voting
Approval voting forces you to select candidates you could settle for, rather than ones you really want to win. That means fewer winners from across the political spectrum, and more winners that just sound the same. That’s not true representation.
Approval voting is opposed by Seattleites from Rainier Beach to Magnolia. Ranked-choice voting gives you the freedom to vote for your favorite candidates in the order you prefer, and know your vote will matter.
Submitted by: Mary Nguyen, Girmay Zahilay, Sally Bagshaw, rcv4seattle.org
Activists want Seattle voters to pick between ill-defined, competing “solutions”, but cannot agree on the problem they are trying to solve.
Other cities that have tried – and often repealed – similar experiments found these confusing changes cost millions to implement, and would add weeks to our already long ballot counting process. We have important issues facing our city – making our primary elections more convoluted and costly won’t solve any of them. Please Vote No.
Submitted by: Ollie Garrett, Pete Hanning, Theo Martin, info@seattleelectionsimplicity.com
Question 1 - simple majority; Question 2 - measure receiving highest number of votes (City of Seattle Charter, art. IV, sec. 1(G))
For questions about this measure, contact: Polly Grow, Seattle Ethics and Elections, (206) 615-1248, polly.grow@seattle.gov
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Email: elections@kingcounty.gov
Phone: 206-296-VOTE (8683)
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