The world’s stupidest election has come around again, with the King County Conservation District giving new meaning to the term “secret ballot.” Dozens of voters will gather today at seven libraries throughout the county to cast ballots in a race that nobody but dedicated environmentalists and self-interested developers even know exists.
No publicity. No convenient neighborhood polling places. No mail-in ballot. It’s pretty much democracy at its worse.
That said, I suppose I’ll attempt to find the polling-place/library closest to a Trader Joe’s, and try to make the most of the inconvenience, casting my ballot for either Kirk Prindle or Max Prinsen. As Lee mentioned, Kirk is a friend of Howie, and thus a friend of HA, who has managed to make it out to a couple DL’s. But Prinsen has the endorsement of the King County Conservation Voters, and I’d hate to see our side split their vote.
Anyway, I’m probably voting for Prindle, but you use your own judgment. Just get out there and vote.
And, alas, that list of environmental candidates does not include Mary Embleton, head of Cascade Harvest Coalition, who is also on the ballot I believe.
So unfortunate to have 3 good candidates for us to split our small vote amongst. So unfortunate to have such a messed up voting process.
However, at least we are hearing about it earlier each year. Do vote!
In addition to KCCV, Sierra Club and Fuse also endorsed Prinsen. Fuse puts it in pretty clear terms in their endorsement email, “While the race includes some other good candidates, we are uniting behind Max to make sure progressives don’t split their vote and lose the election.”
As an extra incentive to vote, Sierra Club and King County Conservation Voters are holding a “Party for Prinsen” at Sazerac, across the street from the Downtown Library on 4th and Seneca from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Unlike most KCCV and Sierra Club members, I have worked with Mary Embleton in farm-related activities through the Cascade Harvest Coalition, and I recommend her wholeheartedly as the outstanding candidate in this field.
Mary is out there all day every day working with small farmers on agricultural preservation, sustainable practices, and regional food security. She is one of the most knowledgeable, best connected, and effective advocates in the County.
She has resources at her command right off the top of her head. The greenest back-to-the-land hippies and the hardest-core property-rights libertarians have benefited from her expertise.
Her background is in economics, and she can talk to landowners about KCD programs in terms of dollars and cents without sacrificing KCD’s principles of conservation.
I saw and heard from Prindle Sunday. I know nothing about Prinsen. For all I know he can walk on water and cure lepers with one touch, but we can’t go wrong with Mary, and she has my support.
Embleton is the better choice; her credentials are much more impressive.
I’m at the Bellevue library right now. There’s a line of about 20-25 people trying to get in and vote. Last time I voted in this election (at the same place), there was no line, I just walked in and voted.
It looks like a split amongst environmentalists. It’s too bad we cannot rally around one candidate. My guess is that the developers are a little more organized.
I voted at the Bellevue Library around 11:40 this morning. I submitted a provisional ballot as the computer was stuck and couldn’t confirm one’s voter registration status.
75-100 people in line when we arrived at the Seattle Main Library and just as many behind us when we left at about 2:00. It looked like a Woodstock reunion…just us aging flower children.
@7
You were probably in line when I left the voting room. The line was twice as long by the time I left.
I voted at 7 pm. There was a line of about 25-30 when I arrived. When I cast my vote, another 20 were queued.
It’s fantastic to see the turnout at today’s secret election – I guess the secret is out!
Prindle is the clear choice since he has pulled on rubber boots and mucked into ditches and streams as a wetland biologist with a passion for keeping nature natural, and done so on a daily basis for years.
Whatever the case, we can only hope for a progressive win. A mobilized electorate is a good sign!
Go Prindle!!
It is the King Conservation District, there is no “County” in the name. It is a special purpose district, just like our fire, library, and hospital districts. I believe it happens to have the same boundary lines as King County, thus the confusion.