What will it take to earn your vote? Question Seattle candidates here

We’re gathering your questions on housing and homelessness, policing and public safety, taxes, and more big issues impacting the city.

An elections worker stands near a ballot drop box among colorful fall trees

King County Elections worker Kyle Daley waits for voters to drop off their ballot at the Beacon Hill drop box on Nov. 3, 2020. (Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)

Somehow, September is nearly over — and that means we are entering the whirlwind of the election campaign season. 

When we debuted Crosscut’s Seattle and King County Voter Guide ahead of the August primary, we wanted local voters at the heart of it. That’s why we asked you for your questions about housing and homelessness, policing, public safety, taxes and urban planning, which we sent directly to the candidates who are seeking your vote.

Now that Seattle and King County voters have narrowed the choices, Crosscut’s audience engagement team is collecting a second round of your questions for candidates running for Seattle mayor, city council and city attorney via this quick survey. It should take no more than 5 minutes to fill out. (The survey is also embedded at the bottom of this page.)

While we can’t tell you who to vote for, we can help get you the information you need to decide which candidate best aligns with your values. 

Need some inspiration for drafting your question? Here are several questions you asked candidates back in August:

  • What is your plan to reduce the number of unhoused Seattleites? When do you anticipate accomplishing that? How will you pay for your plans? Whose taxes will go up?
  • Do small landlords need specific support from your administration? If so, what does that look like? 
  • How will you balance the city budget, while being transparent about how the money is spent?
  • Seattleites have many different views on how to address policing and police violence — from defunding the Seattle Police Department partly or entirely to hiring more officers to address crime. Where do you fall on that spectrum, and how would you use your role to make changes?
  • Where would you get new sources of infrastructure money? What projects would you prioritize?

We’ll accept submissions through Friday, Oct. 1.

We’re not going to lie: Some candidates completely blew off your questions we sent them before the primary — and we don’t think that’s acceptable. Because these politicians have plenty of time before the Nov. 2 election, Crosscut is putting the pressure back on them to answer your most burning questions and earn your vote.

Keep an eye out for the candidates’ responses to your questions in Crosscut’s revamped Seattle and King County Voter Guide, which will relaunch by the time your ballot lands in your mailbox in mid-October. In the meantime, make sure you subscribe to Crosscut’s Elections newsletter, which will be in your inbox every Wednesday afternoon with analysis, voter interviews and other helpful info, whether you’ve been voting here for decades or just registered to vote.


Send us your questions for Seattle mayoral, City Council, and city attorney candidates by filling out our survey at this link, or in the embed below.

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