Last week, King County Elections mailed out ballots for the March 12 Presidential Primary. Normally in Washington state, you don’t have to pick a political party to vote, but the Presidential Primary is the lone exception. On this ballot, you must select one party on the envelope for your ballot and then vote for one of the candidates (or uncommitted delegates) on that party’s side of the ballot. Remember, only mark the side of the ballot that matches the party you choose.  

If you haven’t received your ballot yet, you can call King County Elections at 206-296-VOTE (8683) to request a new one. If you have received your ballot, you can return it by mail (no postage required!) or by putting it into one of the 79 drop boxes across King County. Don’t forget it must be postmarked or returned to a drop box by 8:00pm on Tuesday, March 12. You can also track your ballot throughout the process by signing up for email and text ballot alerts. Make sure your vote is counted! 

On Tuesday, March 5 at 1:30 PM, you can attend a meeting for an employment training, placement, and supports program and on Wednesday, March 6 at 1:30 PM you can join a conversation about a community supports program for people with disabilities. At these sessions, you can help County staff strategize about how to make these programs effective and accessible to people who need them.  

Registration is now open for NAMI Eastside’s annual Youth Mental Health Conference! The conference, with the theme “Come As You Are: Healing through Acceptance”, will be held on Friday, March 22 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Together Center (16305 NE 87th St, Redmond). The theme underscores the importance of acceptance and understanding in mental health and this year’s conference will focus on the power of connection, open communication, and the collective strength that can inspire societal change and hope. 

The conference is free to attend for youth ages 6-25 (adult tickets are $25), but you do need to register! Featured programming will include a resource fair, project presentations from the Youth Ambassador team, a workshop on how youth can get involved in mental health advocacy, and more.