Howard Wright—all-around rich guy and member of the family that built the Space Needle, which is now embroiled in controversy over how it treats its employees—is not one of the finalists selected today to fill outgoing city council member Sally Clark's seat. This might have something to do with the fact that he registered to vote two days after he submitted his application for the position. (The council's website clearly stated that applicants must be registered Seattle voters.)

Seems a bit bizarre that a guy who wants to be on the city council wasn't a registered voter, right? Not only did Wright want to be on the city council, but he cochaired the mayor's minimum wage committee last year.

Reached by phone, Wright offered a simultaneously complex and vague explanation: He registered to vote in Seattle when he "moved back from college" 38 years ago. Then a "couple years ago"—he says he doesn't know exactly when—he registered in San Juan County instead, because he was building a cabin there. Since then, he’s been splitting his time “about 50/50” between there and Seattle, "commuting back and forth."

"Yes, I believe I voted in Seattle in the 2013 mayor’s race," he responded, when asked. That was the last major Seattle election, when Mayor Ed Murray beat out former mayor Mike McGinn and Kshama Sawant won a seat on the council.

Wait for it… NOPE!

Wright did not vote in that election because he wasn’t registered to vote in King County that year, according to county elections spokesperson Barbara Ramsey.