Just a few more hours…

…that's all the time we've got.

In a few hours I'll walk into my local polling place and mark my ballot. For what it's worth, here's what I'm doing.

There will be partisan races for the US Senate, US House, two State House and a State Senate seat on my ballot, and I'll be voting a straight party ticket, natch. I fully expect US Senator Maria Cantwell, US Representative Jim McDermott, State Reps Ruth Kagi and Maralyn Chase and State Senator Darlene Fairley to be returned to office. The sole remaining partisan race, King County Prosecutor, features an unchallenged Republican incumbent, and my ballot will be unmarked in that non-contest.

There's one contested judicial race, and I'll be supporting State Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens, who I hope prevails in her defense against a special interest assault on the appellate bench.

Initiatives? I hate 'em. I think whatever value they ever had as a populist reform has been corrupted beyond redemption. I vote no on all of them as a matter of principle. If you're inclined to consider them at all, though, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that virtually everyone I respect says Initiative 937 is one of the rare good ones.

I'll be voting for the only referendum on the ballot, HJR 4223, which provides a degree of relief for small businesses operating under one of the most regressive tax codes in the nation.

King County Prop. 1 is basically housekeeping, and will get my vote. Prop. 2 is problematic for me, because while I support the transit improvements it would provide, I'm loath to support any increase in the burden of the same damn regressive tax structure that has me voting for HJR 4223. I'm out of step with most of my fellow Ds, I suppose, but I'm voting no on 2.

I'm exceedingly grateful that I don't reside in the City of Seattle so I don't have to worry about all those damn Charter Amendments that make my voter's pamphlet look like a small telephone directory,

See all the rest of y'all dinosaurs that share my affection for the voting booth over kitchen table ballots at the polls!