Seattle Chinatown District Board Election: No Candidate for One Seat as Chair Samantha Wong Seeks Re-Election
On November 1, voting was under way in the annual election for the International Special Review District Board in Seattle's Chinatown-International District, with ballots due to the Department of Neighborhoods by Tuesday, November 17. According to the City of Seattle's candidate announcement of October 22, nominations closed on Monday, October 19. Of the two seats up for election, the third and the fifth, only one person filed: Position 3, which must be held by a business owner, property owner or employee, drew no candidate this year; for Position 5, the at-large seat, only the current chair, Samantha Wong, filed to seek re-election.
Samantha Wong is a practicing architect who has worked on multifamily and commercial development projects, and she has served as vice-chair of the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The International Special Review District Board was established in 1973 to preserve, protect and enhance the cultural, economic and historic character of the Chinatown-International District. The board has seven members — five elected by the community and two appointed by the mayor — serving two-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.
This election is conducted entirely by mail; registered voters will receive a ballot and a return envelope. On November 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., staff will also accept ballots in person at Hing Hay Coworks (409 Maynard Ave S.) and provide Chinese and Vietnamese interpretation. The empty race for Position 3 has drawn community attention to participation and representation.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 西雅图华埠国际区的历史大门（资料图）。ZhengZhou摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / The Historic Chinatown Gate in Seattle's Chinatown-International District (file photo). Photo by ZhengZhou, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
