"Please don't take your anger out on the poll workers."

You vote today

Will you remember to give the poll worker all due consideration?

Editor, The Times:

I am a precinct poll worker. I have just finished attending a workshop to prepare us for the upcoming presidential primary [Tuesday, Feb. 19].

The King County Elections Department did a fine job of training us.

However, there are some new procedures that I am sure will upset some voters. I remember the last time that it was a "Pick a Party" election. People yelled at us, wrote comments on their ballots, and one woman even scribbled all over my poll book.

This time, voters will have to mark whether they are Democrats or Republicans on their ballots and mark their party choice in the poll book when they sign in to vote.

I can't wait!

We work a long day. I get to the polling place at 6 a.m. and don't leave until at least 9:30 p.m. It's a long day for a small amount of money.

Please don't take your anger out on the poll workers. We didn't make the rules.

I would really appreciate a smile.

— June Simon, Seattle

There's no hear-hear

I along with thousands of others in Washington state will have a chance to choose our preferred presidential nominee today. I have encouraged everyone I know to participate in this exciting and somewhat frustrating process.

And though I am going to participate, I am planning to vote uncommitted. Why? Because neither nominee is listening to me yet. Neither nominee has made it known that they hear the peace movement loud and clear.

Now is the time to be heard.

So, people, what do you want? More war? More fear? Or a country that will lead by example, that cares for its children, its sick, its homeless, its veterans, its fragile ecosystems and, by doing that, strengthens families, communities and our sovereignty?

— Gabrielle LaValle, Lynnwood

Split on the fence

As an independent, I am effectively barred from the voting public; I'm too liberal to be a conservative and too conservative to be a liberal.

I am already on too many mailing lists, and I automatically get on one if I must choose Republican or Democrat. But then, I'm not an extremist: I'm too fat to be thin, too thin to be fat, too tall to be short, but too short to be tall, too poor to be rich, but too rich to be poor.

In our present either/or society, is it any wonder the country is polarized?

— C. Wight Reade, Seattle

See you after the party

My wife and I are very frustrated with the caucus system.

My wife, a public librarian, has to work on Saturday, as do many other civic-minded people. I have sporting commitments with our three children.

Instead, a different demographic of folks with different ideas will decide who will be our Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

I will vote in the primary, but what real good does that do? The decision will already be made.

— Julian Slane, Covington

Indifference for thousands, Alex

Good grief! We use an absentee ballot and find we must vote either Democrat or Republican. No choice for the undecided.

Now I read in The Times that the Democrats will not pay any attention to the ballot votes that come in and will use only what the caucuses decide ["Washington matters!" Times editorial, Feb. 7].

Our election process in the state of Washington is in jeopardy ["Revolt to regain control of your vote," guest commentary, Feb. 8].

— Robert Ely, Bellevue

Fish stories

Sardines through the roof

I've lived in Seattle all my life, 56 years to be exact. Is it my imagination, or is the population of our city growing?

As I drive through the part of Seattle I've lived in all those years, Ballard, I see lots of new housing units going up. Take 24th Northwest north of Market Street, for example. Within the past two years or so, two four-story buildings have gone up, housing who knows how many people, both in spots where no housing was previously. Am I to assume that all the folks living in these units don't drive? Was there a clause saying they couldn't own cars when they signed up to live there? I doubt it.

So what other conclusion can one then draw when seeing more new housing units in Ballard? Can you say traffic jams? Sure, I knew you could.

Now you stroll over to where Wilson Ford used to be and you see two more giant buildings being completed, housing who knows how many more folks. So if you add more fish to the tank without enlarging the tank, the fish are more apt to run into each other, yes?

That leads me to ask, what traffic improvements have we gotten? The city took one of our vehicle lanes away on each side of 24th Northwest, giving us a bike lane instead. I travel up and down 24th rather often. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen someone riding a bike up or down 24th!

If the number of new housing units just in that remote part of Ballard isn't enough, the other day, I get in the mail an artist's rendition of what the new apartment/condo/retail building will look like where the old QFC was on 24th Northwest. (This complex will be just north of the other two new buildings.) If this drawing is correct, I'm guessing we're getting a seven-story building with at least 100 units plus retail. Throw in all the new multifamily dwellings being built farther up 24th, plus all the other places not along 24th, and how long will it be before we have our first road-rage incident?

To many of us, there are lots of questions other than traffic that need to be answered. For instance, how can we supply so many new housing units with all the services of an aging city? I'm talking about water, sewer, garbage, police, fire, etc.

If I'm just blowing smoke, tell me. When I talk to other residents, it isn't just me wondering where is everyone coming from and how will Seattle handle what looks like a growing population. Maybe we're just supposed to suck it up, expect brownouts, higher garbage rates and slower police and fire responses.

I don't see any solutions being offered. Heck, I'm not sure there's really a problem!

— Steve Drake, Seattle