All King County Charter Amendments Lead In Early Results

SEATTLE, WA — All King County voters saw seven charter amendments on their ballots, part of the Charter for Justice campaign endorsed by a majority of the King County Metropolitan Council. Amendments four, five and six have garnered the most attention — and some blowback.

After the first batch of results on election night, all seven amendments had majority support for approval.

Thank you King County Voters for your strong YES vote on All SEVEN Charter Amendments. It’s a BIG step toward progress. @RDembowski @KohlWelles @GirmayZahilay
— A Charter For Justice (@Charter4Justice) November 4, 2020

The fourth amendment would grant the county's civilian-led Office of Law Enforcement Oversight the legal authority to subpoena witnesses, documents and other evidence during its investigation.

The fifth amendment would revert the King County Sheriff to an appointed position, as it was until 1996, at the end of Sheriff Mitzi Johnknecht's current term. Proponents argue having the sheriff as an elected office makes enacting reforms nearly impossible and limits candidates for the job by residency rather than by qualification. Johanknecht helped author the opposing statement, which arges the sheriff would be "controlled by politicans with no background or expertise in law enforcement," rather than directly accountable to voters.

The sixth amendment would grant the county council power to determine the scope of the sheriff's office's duties and transfer all bargaining responsibilities to the county executive. The fifth and sixth charter amendments faced strong opposition from the sheriff's guild, which spent more than $150,000 to fight them.

According to data from the Secretary of State's Office, 77.4 percent of voters statewide returned their ballots by 5 p.m. on Election Day. The initial round of results are unlikely to include ballots dropped off in the last two days of voting, and elections officials will update totals each afternoon until the tally is complete. The deadline for certification is Tuesday, Nov. 24.

2020 General Election Night Statewide Results: King County Charter Amendments [includes ballots counted as of 8:15 p.m. Tuesday]

Charter Amendment No. 1: Inquests

Yes: 81.25%
No: 18.75%

Charter Amendment No. 2: Disposition of Real Property for Affordable Housing:

Yes: 70.02%
No: 29.98%

Charter Amendment No. 3: References to Citizens

Yes: 68.69%
No: 31.31%

Charter Amendment No. 4: Office of Law Enforcement Oversight - Subpoena Authority

Yes: 82.77%
No: 17.23%

Charter Amendment No. 5: Making the King County Sheriff an Appointed Position

Yes: 56.61%
No: 42.39%

Charter Amendment No. 6: Structure and Duties of the Department of Public Safety

Yes: 63.08%
No: 36.92%

Charter Amendment No. 7: Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Family Caregiver, Military or Veteran Status:

Yes: 85.16%
No: 14.74%

View all statewide results, or narrow by county:

• Statewide results
• King County
• Pierce County
• Snohomish County