The 2022 midterm elections are coming up fast, and there are many important races that Lincoln voters can help decide. Students, staff, parents, if you are over 18, and a U.S. citizen, you can most likely vote in this election (For more information on voting requirements and how to register to vote in Washington State go to https://howto.vote/register/en/wa.html ). 

Being able to vote is a privilege and many people around the world do not get it. In America, this privilege is too often taken for granted. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2020, a year with the highest voter turnout we have seen in decades, only 2 in 3 eligible voters actually voted. This means that 1 in 3 people in our country had no say in who our president is, some because of restrictive voting laws, but many others because they choose not to take advantage of this rare privilege. 

Some people don’t vote because they don’t like any of the candidates or parties, but this mindset is hugely counterproductive. Not voting is just as much of a choice as voting. By not voting for the candidate, you like the most (or hate the least), you are increasing the chances of the candidate you hate the most winning. It is essential for our democracy that every eligible citizen takes advantage of their right to vote, to ensure that our elected officials are truly representative of the views of the American people. 

Even fewer people vote in the midterms than in presidential election years, but they are just as important. The same number of congressional seats are up in every election, and even though there is no presidential race in the midterms, the vast majority of governors are chosen in the midterms. In Washington this year, we have elections for US Senator, US Representative, Secretary of State, State Senator and State Rep. 

There are also two state-wide ballot measures and numerous local ballot-measures, as well as proposals to implement ranked-choice voting in Clark County, San Juan Country and Seattle. 

Here’s a quick overview of who’s running in the biggest races this fall.

US Senate

Washington’s US Senate election pits incumbent Senator Patty Murray (first elected in 1992), against first-time candidate Tiffany Smiley. The main issues dominating the race are abortion rights, and the economy. Sen. Murray has focused on Mrs. Smiley’s association with former president Trump and her previous support for a national abortion ban, a stance which she has since shifted to a more moderate position. Smiley has campaigned on historically high inflation and attempted to paint Sen. Murray as an out of touch career politician. Sen. Murray is heavily favored to win, but she has warned that the race is still competitive, and it is still very important to vote, regardless of which candidate you support.

Secretary of State

In Washington’s Secretary of State election, incumbent Dem. Steve Hobbs (recently appointed by Gov Inslee to fill the position after Rep. Kim Wyman resigned to take a position in the Biden administration) is facing a challenge from an independent candidate, Julie Anderson. Anderson narrowly edged out several Republican candidates in the top-two primary this summer for the chance to take on Hobbs. She has centered her campaign on the concept of a nonpartisan election administration. To learn more about this race, check out my other article in the opinion section of this edition.

US House

All ten house races in Washington are up this year, but only one of them is remotely competitive. The 8th district, which includes the eastern parts of King and Pierce counties and crosses the cascades into Chelan and Kittitas counties, has a tight race between incumbent Democrat Kim Schrier and Republican challenger Matt Larkin. Most members of the Lincoln community reside in the 7th district, where incumbent Democrat and Chair of the House progressive caucus Pramila Jayapal is expected to easily defeat Republican challenger Cliff Moon.

State Legislative

There are 49 state-legislative districts in Washington, each choosing one senator and two representatives, so this will only cover a few of the most relevant ones to the Lincoln community. Most of the area around Lincoln is part of either the 36th or 43rd districts. 

In the 36th district, Dem. state Rep Noel Frame is facing moderate Dem. opponent Kate Martin to fill the seat of retiring senator Reuven Carlyle. Dem. Rep Liz Berry is running unopposed, and democrats Julia Reed and Jeff Manson face off for the other position, although Reed appears to have a strong lead. In the 43rd district, Dem. Sen Jamie Pedersen is unopposed for reelection, as are Dem. Reps Nicole Macri and Frank Chopp.

Seattle Ranked-Choice Voting Measure

Seattle is considering adopting a new voting, with two proposals on the ballot, ranked choice voting (RCV) and approval voting. RCV is a system where voters rank the candidates instead of voting for just one, and many argue that it better reflects the will of the voters than our current first past the post system. In approval voting, voters pick as many candidates as they would like and the candidate with the most votes wins. 

For more information on this ballot measure go to any of the following sources:

• Independent explanation of what’s on the ballot: https://ballotpedia.org/Seattle,_Washington,_Proposition_1A_and_1B,_Approval_Voting_Initiative_and_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Measure_(November_2022) 
• Pro RCV site: https://rcv4seattle.org/ 
• Pro Approval Voting site: https://seattleapproves.org/ 

Further Election Information:

Registration deadlines

• In-person at voting location on Election Day: Nov 8
• Online: Oct 31 by 11:59 p.m. PDT
• By mail (received by): Oct 31

Voting deadlines

• Early voting: varies by location
• Return ballot by mail (postmarked by): Nov 8
• Return ballot in person: Nov 8 by 8:00 p.m. PST
• Washington finishes sending ballots to all active registered voters: Oct 18