A year of major political decisions starts with a smaller, mostly online vote in Seattle and King County.
You have until February 13th to cast your ballot in this year’s King Conservation District board of supervisors race for Position No. 1:
For the fifth year, the King Conservation District election will primarily rely on electronic ballot access. Ballots will be available to eligible voters online through the KCD website from January 23, 2024, at 8:00 AM through February 13, 2024, at 8:00 PM. Voters may return ballots electronically through the online ballot access system or reach out to KCD for assistance. Democracy Live operates the online ballot access portal and King County Elections will tabulate all ballots and report all results.
The board leads the natural resources assistance agency created “to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible stewardship.” It covers most of the county including Seattle.
The 2024 Position 1 race features three candidates.
Brittney Bush Bollay wants to return to the board to support “local agriculture, clean waterways, abundant forests, and healthy salmon” while safeguarding the budget, and “growing partnerships with other government organizations,” and shaping “a new, fair contract with our unionized staff.” “During the past three years the Conservation District has entered a period of unprecedented stability and success, and I pledge that we will only grow from here,” the incumbent writes.
Challenger Aaron Ellig is a biologist for Sound Transit and would “build stronger community partnerships that are forward thinking for current and future generations” building on a career as a biologist “that has worked in the private and public sectors. “I have demonstrated experience conveying information around natural resources in ways that are engaging and effective. I work closely with cities, companies, communities, and volunteer groups to support healthy and functional ecosystems that maximize public benefit,” Ellig writes.
Farmer Erik Goheen, owner/operator at Sammamish Farms, meanwhile, pledges to bring “experience in habitat restoration and local agriculture to guide the policy our district needs for a sustainable and regenerative future” to the board. “As your KCD Supervisor I will work to keep King County’s countless champions of conservation empowered to work locally and assure the county of the Emerald City stays green,” Goheen writes.
You can find the full candidate statements and more information at kingcd.org.
A vote for the little-known board is pretty much an annual tradition of democracy in King County. It is also somewhat of an experiment. The county moved the conservation district election online in 2020 in a process supported by a private service. Funded by the Department of Defense and selected for the Department of Homeland Security Executive Committee for Critical Voting Infrastructure, privately held Democracy Live says it is “the largest provider of cloud and tablet-based voting technologies in the U.S.”
Meanwhile, the KCD vote this year is also a warm-up. The political stakes start getting higher in March with the state’s 2024 presidential primary.
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