Happy Presidential Primary Day: Today Washington State decides who it begrudgingly puts on the ballot for the presidential election this year. But, we at the Stranger Election Control Board say, why choose the lesser of two evils this March when you can instead channel a little ethical nonmonogamy and tell Biden you’re not ready to commit. Whether it’s the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, the way he’s repeating right-wing rhetoric about immigration, or just that its annoying that Biden’s still trying to make aviators his thing, you can tell the president he hasn’t earned your vote yet by checking the box next to “Uncommitted Delegates.” The Guardian wrote a good piece on the success of the uncommitted delegates campaign in other states, including in Hawaii where the option secured 29% of the vote, the highest win so far this season.

If you’re a Republican, idk, vote for uncommitted delegates as well because its an own on Biden. Nikki Haley already dropped out, so just have a little fun with it.

You have until 8 pm to drop off your ballots today.  It’s probably too late to drop them in the snail mail. Right now, the best way to make sure someone actually counts your ballot is to chuck it in an election drop box.

Mass demonstration scheduled today for Boeing Defense Supplier Summit: More than 50 Seattle organizations have endorsed a mass demonstration outside the Seattle Convention Center today to protest Boeing for profiting off the mass starvation and destruction of Palestinian children in Gaza. The group Resist US-Led War is spearheadeding the event, which starts at noon at Jim Ellis Plaza in Freeway Park. 

Speaking of Boeing: Boeing whistleblower John Barnett died on March from what police said was a “self-inflicted wound.” Barnett spent the final days of his life testifying about how Boeing allowed substandard parts to be fitted into their aircrafts. 

Landlord boots Seattle’s oldest newsstand: The City removed Turco’s Last Stand on 3rd Avenue and Pike Street this week after the owner of the adjacent building called the stand an “eyesore.” The operator of the stand, Ben Gant, had adjusted his business to serve the needs of the people on the block, handing out resource guides, leftover pastries, and harm-reduction resources. Rich has more on this loss to the downtown community. 

Cherry blossom season approaches: I’m an absolute sucker for these tissue-paper-thin petals and all the events surrounding their arrival. The third annual U District Cherry Blossom Festival starts March 16 and runs through April 1. Highly encourage people to go find some trees. I’m hoping this year I’ll finally manage to snag a sakura bun from Saint Bread.

King County Sheriff’s Office files lawsuit against Burien: Burien passed a law earlier this year expanding the City’s camping ban to target the unhoused. King County Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall and King County filed a complaint with the US District Court in Washington, challenging the constitutionality of the ban. In the meantime, the sheriff’s office has told its deputies not to enforce the ban, making Burien pout and stamp their little bigot feet about how the county’s not keeping the city safe. On the other hand, King County government seems to be the only group that cares about the people of your city, Burien. 

Cops, who are some of the highest paid city employees, say they need higher salaries: KOMO seems determined to manufacture consent for the Seattle Police Department draining this City of its resources. Despite most SPD officers making literally six-figures in both regular salary and overtime, they’re still complaining about their pay, and Council Members Tanya Woo and Bob Kettle said spending more on recruitment bonuses would be a good way to spend public funds. Go mess with this KOMO poll. 

A ship of aid heads to Gaza: A ship carrying about 200 tons of food departed from Cyprus and headed toward Gaza Tuesday morning, according to CNN. Gaza continues to teeter on the brink of famine as children starve to death. Queen Rania Al Abdullah told CNN earlier this week that aid could not replace a ceasefire. 

Special Counsel testifies about Biden classified document investigation: Special Counsel Robert Hur cleared Biden of wrongdoing regarding the way he handled classified documents after he left the vice presidency. But Hur also took an opportunity in his report to take some shots at the president for having a “fuzzy” memory. Hur defended his comments during testimony Tuesday morning. I dunno, seems like Biden was on some cool shit: 

Happy Tuesday, everyone: I woke up to the sound of my carbon monoxide alarm screaming about having a low battery. My friend told me to drown that out with some Christine and the Queens. Enjoy!

Ashley Nerbovig is a staff writer at The Stranger covering policing, incarceration and courts. She is like other girls.

17 replies on “Slog AM: Washington Presidential Primary Day, Boeing Whistleblower Dies Unexpectedly, King County Sues Burien Over Camping Ban”

  3. @2 King County Elections (among many others) recommend mailing your ballot no later than the Friday before the election to ensure it gets postmarked on time. After that, they recommend using a drop box.

    “We recommend dropping your ballot in the mail by the Friday before Election Day to make sure it gets postmarked in time to be counted. Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day.”

    https://cd.kingcounty.gov/en/home/dept/elections/governance-and-leadership/voting-in-king-county/ballots/return-my-ballot

  4. Glad to see the Stranger is still working as hard as possible to hurt Biden’s re-election chances. Face it: Kshama Sawant will never be President and neither will anyone else from her hate-filled Commie lite party.

  5. Vote for Uncommitted in the Dem primary? That has got to be the most mealy-mouthed idea I have heard since Nader was running. “Uncommitted sends a message” because of Gaza? Because of student loans? Because of inflation? Because your milk turned sour before the sell-by date? A clear message! NOT!

    You could instead write a letter to the White House and your congresscritters that explicitly and clearly expresses your views. And how could The Stranger imply that TFG is even remotely acceptable?

    You don’t tug on Superman’s cape,

    You don’t spit into the wind,

    You don’t vote Uncommitted on the Dem ballot,

    And you don’t give TFG a win.

  6. @5 By the same logic, you could say that because Israel doesn’t want a cease-fire on Hamas’ terms, they don’t want a cease-fire at all. Of course, /you/ wouldn’t, because seeing things from another’s perspective isn’t your jam. Reductive reasoning certainly is, so your post is in character.

    @6 Wrong again! I mean, unless you choose believe Some Dude On the Internet over the actual, you know, professionals who run elections. That is, of course, typical behavior for AI chatbots. The evidence is mounting!

  7. @4 A “recommendation” is a world away from saying your vote “probably won’t be counted.” I always mail my ballot on Election Day, and it’s never not been counted.

  9. @10, 12 Every USPS mailbox in my neighborhood* is picked up sometime between 10am and 1pm. Ballots left in those mailboxes will not be postmarked on election day. Maybe you live/work in exceptionally-well served neighborhoods, but that’s not universal.

    Except the ones directly in front of post offices. And the drop boxes are just as convenient as post offices.

  10. @13 It would not be reasonable or rational for Hamas to give up the strategic advantage of hostages without gaining something in return.

    Ukraine’s conditions for a cease fire with Russia are for Russia to withdraw to internationally recognized (pre-2014) boundaries. Does the government of Ukraine want its own population killed as well?

  12. @16

    huh. not

    even as a

    Warning to fool-

    ish potential Copycats?

    well so much for

    ‘all the ‘news’

    that fits [the

    Narrative].’

  13. @18 I admit I misread 12–I thought you said to drop in outgoing mail when you leave your 9 to 5 job in the evening. Of course, you assume that everyone has a 9 to 5 job. But let’s leave that aside and go back to what Ashley originally said:

    “Right now, the best way to make sure someone actually counts your ballot is to chuck it in an election drop box.”

    Note, not the only way. Not “probably won’t be counted” if you don’t do it this way as stated @10. The best way. Like the recommended way. Like what King County Elections suggests. But sure, if dropping it in outgoing mail works for you, go ahead and do that. I just don’t see what the butthurt is about in suggesting that people follow the recommendations of the professionals. It’s not voter suppression, unless you’re of the conspiratorial bent that thinks that KCE is trying to suppress voter turnout.

    I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that KCE has a really good handle on how many ballots end up coming in postmarked late, and that they issued the recommendation to use a dropbox after last Friday for a reason. Because they’re, you know, professionals. Unlike you.

  14. In case there was any doubt, the move to make the KC sheriff an appointed position by the KC executive rather than an elected one has resulted in making them a partisan agency who will now only respond to things that meet the idealogical views of the executive. Do you remember when rural sheriffs refused to enforce a progressive law and the AG lost his shit and TS cheered him on?

    https://www.thestranger.com/guns/2019/02/12/38866460/attorney-general-fires-back-at-rural-sheriffs-that-are-vowing-not-to-enforce-gun-control-laws

    This is no different. It’s not the purview of the sheriff to debate whether a law is constitutional. They have no standing in this lawsuit and any judge with their salt will toss this on that basis alone. Once that happens I hope Burien files their own suit for breach of contract.

  15. Starting in 1993, when Burien became a city, they have taxed hell out of themselves to create all the things a city wants to have: a redeveloped business district on 152nd st, new parks, etc. They even put a surcharge on their electric bills to cover cost of burying all the utilities on First Avenue. Is it any wonder they are upset about the homeless people? For a while there, all of 152nd – the “crown jewel” of Burien (such as it is) – was occupied by tents.

  16. @22 Google is your friend, man. Or, in your case, not your friend at all. Because the data (once again) shows that you’re wrong. There has been one case of drop box vandalism in the past 15 years, and no ballots were lost. Just last year, there was a mailbox that was uncollected for weeks, and turned out to have 85 ballots in it. Those were (fortunately) recovered in time to be counted, but they could just as easily have been lost. So there’s no evidence that drop boxes are riskier, and evidence that mailing is riskier. Sucks to be you.

    It’s less risky to use a drop box because the ballots go through fewer hands. The ballots go directly from the drop box into a truck and then directly to King County Elections. The more places they stop, the more chances there are for human error.

    If you don’t think that’s correct, go ahead and provide some evidence instead of a smear of FUD. You’re claiming that KCE’s recommendation is wrong, so go ahead and prove it. Speaking of FUD, that’s exactly what the COVID comparison in @23 is. Call me crazy, but I’m gonna go with the recommendation of the folks who have been doing this for years rather than Some Dude On The Internet who’s perennially and easily provably wrong on nearly every subject opined upon.

  17. I dropped my ballot in the mail at 5:30 last night and got an email at 10:30 this morning that it had been received by King County Elections. So much for it being “probably too late to drop in the snail mail.” All hail the USPS!

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