Primary election ballots are in the mail, and with the launch of the 2017 primary election Video Voters’ Guide, voters can hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent them.
The non-partisan video guide offers candidates on the primary ballot up to two minutes to issue a prepared statement that outlines the key planks of their platform. The segments are unedited and published online and broadcast on Seattle Channel cable 21 and King County TV cable 22. The candidates appear onscreen in the same order as they do on the ballot.
In all, the guide features video statements from 57 candidates for Seattle and King County elected offices. Only positions where three or more candidates filed will appear on the primary ballot.
For easy reference, the candidate statements are organized by race. 
The Seattle portion of the guide includes candidates for Seattle mayor, the two at-large Seattle City Council seats (Position 8 and Position 9) elected citywide, and three positions on the Seattle School Board (District 4, 5 and 7). The King County portion of the guide features candidates for King County executive and Port of Seattle commissioner (Position 1, 3 and 4). It also includes general information about King County Proposition 1, which proposes a sales tax to fund a King County Cultural Access Program (Access for All).
“The Video Voters’ Guide allows voters to view the candidates in a noncommercial, unmoderated and unedited environment,” said Shannon Gee, Seattle Channel’s interim general manager. “Working with our partners, we’re pleased to provide this comprehensive set of candidate statements which offers another vantage point for voters. The guide brings to life the candidates and the issues in a convenient format.”
Primary ballots in the vote-by-mail election must be postmarked by Tuesday, Aug. 1 or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that day.
Before the Nov. 7 general election, a revised version of the Video Voters’ Guide will be available. The revised guide will feature candidates appearing on the November general election ballot and statements regarding ballot issues.
The Video Voters’ Guide is a project of Seattle Channel, Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission and King County TV.
