1A - Selecting Multiple Candidates in City Primary Elections

Proposition 1A (submitted by Initiative Petition No. 134) and Proposition 1B (alternative proposed by the City Council and Mayor) concern allowing voters to select multiple candidates in City primary elections. Proposition 1A (Initiative 134) would allow voters in primary elections for Mayor, City Attorney, and City Council to select on the ballot as many candidates as they approve of for each office. The two candidates receiving the most votes for each office would advance to the general election, consistent with state law. The City would consult with King County to include instructions on the primary ballot such as ""vote for AS MANY as you approve of"" for each office. As an alternative, the Seattle City Council and Mayor have proposed Proposition 1B (Ordinance 126625), which would allow primary election voters for Mayor, City Attorney, and City Council to rank candidates by preference. In the first round of processing, each voter's top preference would be counted. The candidate receiving the fewest would be eliminated. Successive rounds of counting would eliminate one candidate each round, counting each voter's top preference among remaining candidates, until two candidates remain to proceed to the general election. 1. Should either of these measures be enacted into law?