This city is changing. If you’ve been living under a rock or in the cave you probably haven’t noticed the massive, gaudy, blue and yellow shingled, overpriced condos springing up on the hill. You probably haven’t seen the reports profiling by Seattle police, or members of the LGBTQ community brutally attacked blocks from their own homes. You most likely have missed the massive southern migration of people of color as their historical districts are filled with trendy restaurants and pot shops. If you missed all of this, then maybe it’s about time you wake up and be a part of something. Inaction is action.

But if you have seen all of these changes, and you don’t plan on voting in the upcoming election, then please, do. This local election really matters. There are candidates that have already started initiatives which make this city and initiatives on transportation services as well as correcting the issues in our police department. There’s a chance we can change our city for the better.

Moreover, this specific election is so damn important. Because it’s not just about votes this time. It’s about money. Those with wealth and influence have been creating super PACs for local elections – you know, those big scary organizations you hear about in national elections. Well it looks like they’re trying to influence local elections. We can’t let that happen. But they don’t have the power, we do. Money buys commercials and fancy campaigns, but it doesn’t buy votes. Those are still ours. And we better use them, now more than ever, to make sure our city and our community is shaped by people, not corporations.

Please, just vote, it’s so easy and so much better than doing nothing. And if you can’t vote, for whatever reason, pester your friends. Just tell them I made you do it.

–Jason Bono, Managing Editor