|
| | |  | Washington elections officials are encouraging voters to use designated drop boxes to vote in the 2026 General Election. (Sam J. Leeds / City Cast Seattle) |
| It’s National Voter Registration Day | First things first: if you want to vote, make sure you’re still registered. You can check if your voter registration is up to date here and you have until Oct. 26 to make any updates needed before the 2026 General Election. You can click here to register online for the first time, 24 hours a day. It has to be at least 8 days in advance of the next election and you’ll need a current Washington State driver’s license, or a current Washington State ID card, or the last 4 digits of Social Security Number. If you do not have either of these, you can still register by mail or in-person. [Seattle Public Library] | - What’s going on with mail-in voting? In August, in response to President Trump’s executive order, the U.S. Postal Service released new requirements for mail ballots less than two weeks before some states began sending them to voters. This was then blocked by a U.S. District Court judge in Boston and the Trump administration appealed. The Supreme Court lifted that judge’s freeze saying it was premature, but the cases were refiled and the original judge reinstated her injunction. Then on Sunday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. made a similar ruling, ordering a second freeze. Last night, the Supreme Court denied USPS’ restrictions on mail-in voting for the midterms. So, at least for the midterms, USPS is expected to continue delivering mail ballots as usual. [AP]
- Confused? Don’t worry: State elections officials told KUOW they’re drawing up contingency plans, but their main message to voters is, no matter what, voters will still be able to print a new ballot and envelope if their regular one gets stuck in the postal bureaucracy. They encourage voters to use a designated drop box and if you really want to mail your ballot, they recommend hand-delivering it to a post office and asking the postal clerk to stamp your ballot in front of you. [KUOW]
- Washington vote by mail history: All of Washington state (with a few exceptions) votes by mail in every election. In 2005, the legislature established voting by mail (VBM) as a permanent option for all elections, allowing counties to choose. By 2011, 38 of 39 counties switched to VBM, and it was made a requirement statewide. The Secretary of State has a great fact sheet on the timeline and process available here.
|
|
|
|
| | | Habitat for Humanity is making homeownership in Seattle more affordable. At Liberty Commons in Columbia City, located steps from light rail, condos range from $165,000–$285,000—about half the traditional market rate. Depending on the home and buyer, monthly costs could compare to $1,200–$3,900 per month in rent. Households earning roughly $40,000–$116,000 may qualify. If homeownership has felt out of reach, visit BuyHabitat.org to see what’s possible. |
|
|
|
| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 💉 UW researchers are developing an opioid addiction and overdose vaccine: Researchers at the University of Washington have developed vaccines for oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl. Each currently is in a different stage of seeking FDA approval and clinical trials. The vaccines harness the immune system to prevent overdoses and appear to also lessen cravings, reducing physical dependency on opioids. Early data also suggests the vaccine’s effects could last up to a year. [KNKX] | | 🚓 Police further delay Bite of Seattle communication records: Last Monday, Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles said he would release the records of messages between police officers sent the night of the shooting. Now, Sayles says he needs more time. As reported by PubliCola and discussed on the podcast, SPD knew critical details within an hour of the shooting, but did not release that information until four to five hours later. [KIRO 7] | |  | A Seattle police officer sits on his motorcycle in an intersection downtown. (Remy Gieling / Unsplash) |
| 🛣️ WSP investigating car driving on I-90 bike path: Last week, a video of a white car speeding along the I-90 bike and pedestrian trail went viral. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is now investigating how the car ended up on a segment of the 10-mile paved path that connects Seattle and Bellevue. As one commenter put it: “Why don't they drive on the Link tracks where cars belong?” [KOMO] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
