Oct. 9 deadline to register online or by mail

Monday, Oct. 9, is the deadline to register online or by mail to vote in the Nov. 7 general election or for previously registered Washington voters to file a change of address.

New Washington voters can register through Oct. 30, but after Monday, Oct. 9, they must register in person at the Snohomish County auditor’s office in Everett.

Voters can register online or update existing registrations at https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/myvote/.

Mail registration forms are available at the auditor’s office, at any local library or at some other government offices. Forms also are available online at https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/Print-Voter-Registration-Forms.aspx. Voters who register by mail need to send their forms in time to get an Oct. 9 postmark. That means being aware of pick-up times at local post offices.

In person registration is at Snohomish County Elections, County Auditor’s office, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, First Floor, Administration Building West.

Budget statements from candidates for an open school Board seat

Edmonds School District candidates Cathy Baylor and Deborah Kilgore recently sent statements about their approach to considering a school-district budget.

The two are running for one of the two School District 15 positions on the Nov. 7 ballot. The school district includes Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway, part of Brier and unincorporated areas near those municipalities.

Baylor and Kilgore are running to replace Board member Susan Phillips, who represents director district 4, which straddles Highway 99 in the central part of the Edmonds School District, an area that includes parts of the cities of Edmonds and Lynnwood.

School Board candidates must live in the director district that they wish to represent, but residents of the entire Edmonds School District vote to elect board members representing all five director districts.

Here are Baylor’s and Kilgore’s statements in the order that their names will appear on the November ballot and in the voters’ pamphlet:

Edmonds SD 15 Director District 4

Deborah Kilgore

We all want our children to have a fair chance at an excellent education, and invest our tax dollars in Edmonds schools to accomplish this. As a school board director, I will take this investment seriously, spending wisely and fairly to best help all our children become good learners, citizens, and contributors to our community and economy. This means a focus on diverse neighborhood schools, where funds are needed most and can realize the greatest return. I will work to ensure the budget reflects diverse voices of people in and around these schools, and that accountability emphasizes student learning and equitable access to everything our district has to offer.

Cathy Baylor

Our school district budget is our plan for teaching our kids to become self-confident, independent adults.

I would start the budget process early on by consulting with community members, teachers, and educational and budgeting experts, to establish financial and educational objectives.

I would review the budget as a critical community representative, being faithful to taxpayers, seeking objective analyses by outside sources, and comparing the budget to community objectives.

This year, we have set aside funds for reducing class size, instituting a comprehensive equity plan, and replacing outdated buildings, while adjusting to new legislative changes.

Monitoring the budget regularly is crucial, to ensure that we are following our plan carefully.

–By Evan Smith

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.