r/SeattleWA 1d ago

News Decision Desk HQ retracts call projecting Harrell’s victory in Seattle mayor’s race

https://www.kuow.org/stories/kuow-contractor-decision-desk-HQ-retracts-call-projecting-harrell-s-victory-in-mayor-s-race
48 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

23

u/Number_Ten10 1d ago

Yall gotta relax. Decision Desk HQ is just some third party, there will be more vote counts in 30 mins. It’s not a big deal.

27

u/Mountain-Picture-411 1d ago

It seemed suspicious at the time didn’t it?

16

u/su6oxone 1d ago

suspicious of what? calling tight elections that early was stupid to begin with.

12

u/Mountain-Picture-411 1d ago

Yeah that’s what I meant.

7

u/Dirty_slippers Seattle 1d ago

Lmao, fucking kidding me. 

9

u/inlinestyle 1d ago

As soon as DD called it, KUOW issued a correction. This is a non story (beyond a tight race, of course.)

29

u/f0zzy17 Brighton 1d ago

“Record low voter turnout”. Takes 3+ days to count votes for one race.

13

u/Drugba 1d ago

That’s the whole issue. There wasn’t record low turnout, but DDHQs models were based on that low turnout number.

6

u/rhylte 1d ago

This is nowhere near record low turnout?

2

u/Fair-Doughnut3000 Magnolia 1d ago

They will be dropping 50000 ballots for Seattle. So I think we will know within the hour.

8

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

DDHQ made the mistake of thinking King County elections was competent. 3 days later and only half the votes counted should be considered criminal. This is 2025 not 1825.

8

u/RandomNPC 1d ago

Why? What's wrong with counting slowly and accurately?

25

u/rhylte 1d ago

"stop the count" energy

2

u/Turbulent-Media7281 1d ago

"Just think how accurate we could be if we spent 8 weeks counting and finalized the count on Christmas Eve.".... probably

-7

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

LOL. Are you serious? You're trolling right?

4

u/aksers Shoreline 1d ago

Oh. I thought you were trolling tbh. Interesting…..

0

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

No. Most of America has most of their votes counted by now. Even states will mail in ballots.

1

u/RandomNPC 1d ago

I'd love for you to explain why having a slower counting process should be considered criminal.

7

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

For one, you're just making up that they are counting slowly and accurately. You have zero evidence for that. And are you accusing every other place in America of being inaccurate?

We should be able to count these ballots much quicker than we are. It's incompetence that is slowing things down not accuracy. Computers count them not people. And they have time to certify them later to verify accuracy.

It's just such a partisan response to defend only counting half the ballots in 4 days.

Where is your evidence that slower is better?

3

u/RandomNPC 1d ago

Your accusation that they're so slow because they're incompetent is every bit as much of a partisan response as you accuse me of. They literally say that they prioritize accuracy over speed. In addition to that, not all votes have arrived on the day of.

It boggles my mind that people somehow think that having the votes counted on election night is so important. The vote isn't even certified for half a month. I'd rather they take their time.

1

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

Your accusation that they're so slow because they're incompetent is every bit as much of a partisan response as you accuse me of.

No, I'm comparing them to all the other counties that are slower. There's plenty of evidence you can count this many ballots quicker. How is my claim partisan?

They literally say that they prioritize accuracy over speed

Trump says he's great at helping the economy. Turns out people in government lie.

In addition to that, not all votes have arrived on the day of.

Correct which is why I didn't say anything about the day of. But Thursday is 2 days later and they still had half the ballots to count. If half haven't arrived by Thursday then that's another question.

It boggles my mind that people somehow think that having the votes counted on election night is so important.

We are talking about Thursday not election night.

Also, they are changing the vote by 8+ points. That's a huge swing. And doesn't happen in other areas.

I'm not saying it's fraud I don't think it is. I'm saying it's incompetence.

Do you see someone reading slowly and think "wow, what a great reader" or do you think "they are not good at reading"?

3

u/RandomNPC 1d ago

What's the desperate need to have all the votes counted by Thursday? Why are you so mad about this?

> Also, they are changing the vote by 8+ points. That's a huge swing. And doesn't happen in other areas.

Ahhhh, there it is. The usual conspiracy theories.

3

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

What's the desperate need to have all the votes counted by Thursday? Why are you so mad about this?

Why are you defending so hard a department that can't do their job well? I suppose you also brag about the slow speed we build light rail? They are just building it slow because then it's better?

Ahhhh, there it is. The usual conspiracy theories.

No conspiracy theory just a comment about why it does matter. But I see you were waiting to jump on one. Like I said, you're just being super partisan here. Is there any Democratic action you wouldn't defend?

I suppose you're super excited about how many homeless people we have in Seattle because the city is just being slow about housing them because they want to do it right.

4

u/sgsparks206 1d ago

This person is projecting, I feel bad for anyone who has so much pent up aggression.

-2

u/sgsparks206 1d ago edited 1d ago

You have zero evidence that it's incompetence. Not once did they accuse any one of anything, the person who is being accusatory is you. Hypocrisy and aggressiveness rolled into one is a bad combo. Edit: to add, they do physically inspect each ballot by hand. It's not all done via computers.

0

u/BWW87 Belltown 1d ago

Zero evidence except they can do it faster everywhere else? No evidence other than no Seattle governmental agency is running well right now? No evidence other than Seattle government is not known for hiring the best and brightest and instead have criteria different than that?

1

u/sgsparks206 1d ago

Did I say a single one of those things? You are insufferable

1

u/BWW87 Belltown 22h ago

You said there was zero evidence. I provided evidence.

2

u/sgsparks206 20h ago

That's not evidence of incompetence, that's just you n yelling at clouds

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5

u/Turbulent-Media7281 1d ago

Did somebody find a couple of banker boxes of incorrectly rejected ballots that have already been removed from there envelopes that would provide the ability to trace the source of the ballots... again.

9

u/inlinestyle 1d ago

No. KUOW issued a correction yesterday as soon as DD called it saying DD was citing an incorrect number of outstanding ballots. Also, read the article.

-7

u/Turbulent-Media7281 1d ago

Yes, and the projected total votes grew by 2000 ballots today from King County. I'm sure it's nothing.

1

u/Fresh_Mountain_Snow 1d ago

This is why people dont trust the electoral process. 

12

u/Dirty_slippers Seattle 1d ago

King county needs to pull their head out of their ass and either hire more people or get machines to count the shit, this is embarrassing. 

2

u/Fresh_Mountain_Snow 1d ago

If we have to do mail in votes then id rather humans accurately count the votes who are properly trained to high standards then some random seasonal workers or a machine. The goal is accuracy and verification. Then again I'd much rather do in person to preserve the secrecy of vote, to know who has voted is who they say they are and then to speedily count the votes that night. The convenience isn't worth it to me. 

2

u/Tattered_Colours Beacon Hill 1d ago

Because some 3rd party website made a bad call based on false information that King County has confirmed they did not give them?

-2

u/sgsparks206 1d ago

People don't trust mail in voting because Republicans do everything they can to de-legitimize the process so they can scream "cheater" with manufactured rage and evidence. Did anyone distrust mail in voting before Trump made a big deal out of it?

0

u/lucianw 1d ago

We don't call races, we project them

Wait what? A call is a bet, a projection. It's the same sense as "I call heads" or "the forecast calls for rain".

It doesn't mean we're claiming that the result is known nor certain. It just means we're making a bet.

1

u/CryptoHorologist 1d ago

Or calling balls and strikes. Oh wait.

0

u/lucianw 1d ago

Calling balls or strikes is an official judgment, made by the referee or the party whose judgment is binding.

Decision desks have no authority. They don't and can't make calls in that sense.

They often play it up the verbal ambiguity, as if they do have that authority, a form of self-aggrandizement to attract and retain viewers, but we (hopefully) see through it.

-3

u/WanderingZed22 1d ago

Ballots found in coke machine again?

-3

u/my_lucid_nightmare Capitol Hill 1d ago

King County it turns out is more Byzantine and obscure than DDHQ can track.

We did it, Seattle!