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Campaign Fizz: Campaign Mail Mishap
Your one-stop shop for today's local campaign news, gossip, and analysis.
1) Candidates targeting mail to voters in the runup to the November 8 general election have encountered an unprecedented problem: Instead of arriving a day after they're mailed, election flyers are taking about three days to show up in voters' mailboxes.
Often, that means people are getting their ballots before they get the mail that's supposed to influence their votes---a major issue for candidates who didn't factor the extra time into their mailing schedules. "Now you have to send [mail] even earlier," consultant Christian Sinderman says. "It just adds frustration and variability, and makes consultants look dumb."
The problem apparently stems from layoffs at the US Postal Service, which has eliminated more than a third of its workforce in recent years.
2) King County Elections is predicting voter turnout of 52 percent in the county, slightly higher than the predicted statewide turnout of 47 percent. King County residents who haven't registered to vote can do so through October 31.
3) City Council challenger Brad Meacham, running an uphill race to defeat city council incumbent Bruce Harrell, just reported his total raised through October: $57,143, a fraction of Harrell's $276,214 total raised.
As of October 17, Meacham had $9,122 on hand to Harrell's $149,748.
4) Live outside Seattle (specifically: In Snohomish County, Tacoma, Renton, Shoreline, Federal Way, or Kirkland) and want to know how to cast a pro-transit vote this year? The Seattle Transit Blog has all the information you need.
5) The Seattle Times did an informative live chat today about Inititiave 1183, the Costco-funded liquor privatization proposal. The chat includes a reader poll, which is currently running 73 percent in favor of the initiative.
1) Candidates targeting mail to voters in the runup to the November 8 general election have encountered an unprecedented problem: Instead of arriving a day after they're mailed, election flyers are taking about three days to show up in voters' mailboxes.
Often, that means people are getting their ballots before they get the mail that's supposed to influence their votes---a major issue for candidates who didn't factor the extra time into their mailing schedules. "Now you have to send [mail] even earlier," consultant Christian Sinderman says. "It just adds frustration and variability, and makes consultants look dumb."
The problem apparently stems from layoffs at the US Postal Service, which has eliminated more than a third of its workforce in recent years.
2) King County Elections is predicting voter turnout of 52 percent in the county, slightly higher than the predicted statewide turnout of 47 percent. King County residents who haven't registered to vote can do so through October 31.
3) City Council challenger Brad Meacham, running an uphill race to defeat city council incumbent Bruce Harrell, just reported his total raised through October: $57,143, a fraction of Harrell's $276,214 total raised.
As of October 17, Meacham had $9,122 on hand to Harrell's $149,748.
4) Live outside Seattle (specifically: In Snohomish County, Tacoma, Renton, Shoreline, Federal Way, or Kirkland) and want to know how to cast a pro-transit vote this year? The Seattle Transit Blog has all the information you need.
5) The Seattle Times did an informative live chat today about Inititiave 1183, the Costco-funded liquor privatization proposal. The chat includes a reader poll, which is currently running 73 percent in favor of the initiative.
