Campaign ‘97

What a bunch of cards

The Spokane municipal elections have been fairly tame thus far, with only a few exceptions. The latest is a mass mailing by the Spokane County Republican Party, urging recipients to “help to rescue Spokane from liberal Democrat agenda of big government and overspending!” Odd, because the mayor and council seats, as even this robin’s-egg blue postcard admits in smaller type on the back, are nonpartisan races … Even more odd because the council can’t overspend in the sense that voters usually associate with a deficit-running federal government. City budgets have to balance every year. The council also includes some staunch Republicans, such as outgoing Councilman Mike Brewer, who was a little steamed to receive this card in the mail: “I personally take offense to it. We shouldn’t turn this into a partisan thing,” Brewer said last week … Here’s the kicker, though. The card urges folks to “vote Republican,” which could be tough, because there’s no R after a candidate’s name.

Will they turn out?

Word from the Spokane County Elections Office is that the returns of absentee ballots aren’t exactly a raging river. They’re hardly even a decent creek … Of course, folks who prefer to go to the polls rather than the mailbox could pick up the slack. Otherwise, some of these crowded city races could be decided by a handful of ballots.

Web sites of the week

Tuesday being Election Day, it seems only fair to tout the Spokane County Elections Office Web site, which will be updating returns as quickly as they are counted on election night. Find it at www.spokanecounty.org/elections/ index.htm … Voters who want to study the candidates one more time before heading to the polls can check out stories published over the last two weeks on The Spokesman-Review’s home page. Go to www.virtuallynw.com and head for Election Central.

Catch the candidates

Monday: Candidates for Spokane mayor will be interviewed on KPBX, from noon through 1:30 p.m.

Campaign calendar

Monday: Last day to get an absentee ballot.

Monday: Last day for write-in candidates to file petitions of candidacy.

Tuesday: Primary election for contested races in cities, school districts and other taxing districts. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘97, published Sundays during election season, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. Information about candidate appearances can be mailed to Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210, or faxed to (509) 459-5482, or e-mailed to jimc@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports