Even-Year Elections Plan Advances In King County

KING COUNTY, WA — A proposed charter amendment to move elections for county-level offices to even years advanced out of committee in the Metropolitan King County Council on Wednesday, and pending final approval later this month, voters will have the final say in November.

The measure, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Claudia Balducci, Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Girmay Zahilay, is designed to improve voter participation across demographics, but particularly among underrepresented groups. The council examined two decades of voter turnout percentages and found a vast chasm between participation in even and odd years.

Elections held on even years, when residents are also voting for President or weighing in on the mid-terms, saw turnout at 77 percent on average, while odd-numbered years averaged just 47 percent. Looking at last year, Balducci noted countywide ballot measures and races drew between 40 and 41 percent of voters, while 2020 participation was roughly double.

"The data is clear that voter turnout during odd-year elections is dramatically lower than even-year elections, meaning many voters have no voice in who represents them in key offices," Balducci said after Wednesday's vote. "Moving county races to even years means we're welcoming participation by currently underrepresented voters, including younger people, people of color & renters."

Citing data from Sightline, Balducci noted that areas of the county with more renters saw a bigger drop-off in turnout compared to those with more homeowners, and the dip between even and odd years was often more dramatic among voters of color than white voters.

The proposed ordinance was approved in a 7-2 vote in the Committee of the Whole, and the council is scheduled to hold a final vote on June 28. If approved, voters will decide the fate of the charter amendment on their November ballots.