Endorsement Meeting Candidate FAQ

King County Young Democrats Candidate Endorsement Frequently Asked Questions

To candidates seeking election this year 2021:

Thank you for running. We know that running for office is a huge burden and we appreciate and honor you for taking it on. Running for office is no small sacrifice; thank you for stepping up to the task this year. 

At the time of writing this email, the King County Young Democrats will be hosting its endorsements process online due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic. Our formal vote on endorsements will be a members-only Zoom Meeting on September 26th.

To be eligible to be on the endorsement slate, please submit a video in the form linked below:

https://forms.gle/qYwgWGZ8RtEPtTQWA

Please maintain the length of 1 minute and 30 seconds and have the videos subtitled or provide a transcription, and refrain from disparaging members of our organization or your opponents. You have until 11:59 p.m. on September 19th to submit a video. The video must address the following prompt:

We at King County Young Democrats believe that young people and their issues have been ignored and pushed aside in politics. What have you done to advance youth issues in King County?

We encourage you to submit sooner than later, as we cannot guarantee that many of our members will choose to watch your video if it is turned in right at the deadline. We will pre-screen all the videos and we may post them publicly for our members and anyone who is interested.

If you have any questions please contact us at the information below!

Dan Tran
KCYD Political Director
KCYDPoliticalDirector@gmail.com
 Yuan Tao
KCYD Chair
KCYDChair@Gmail.com
Does my video have to be well-produced?

Nope! We are happy to accept a video filmed on your phone in selfie mode. Our members want to hear from you.

What if I can’t add closed captions?

Please transcribe your video so members with different hearing abilities can participate, too.

What if my file is too big to attach?

Try to upload first, then reach out to us and we can figure something out. But attempt to use the form first, don’t just email us without an attempt.

I submitted a questionnaire/interview to a different organization, why do I need to do this?

Different organizations have different processes. Doing this also creates content for your campaign to share.

When do the King County Young Democrats have their endorsements meeting?

The King County Young Democrats typically host our endorsement meetings in late May. You can find more event details on our Facebook Page.

What races can be considered for endorsement?

Per our by-laws:

“Only candidates and ballot measures with jurisdiction wholly within the State of Washington, and wholly or partially within King County, shall be eligible for endorsement.”

Who can vote on endorsements?

Only current members of King County Young Democrats can make motions to endorse from the floor. Members must reside in King County, be under the age of 36 and pay the membership dues of $20. If you have campaign staff or supporters whom are under 36, live in King County and are interested in joining, they can do so here.

If I am running for office, live in King County and am under 36 can I become a member and participate in the endorsements process?

Yes, we do not ban anyone from being a member just because they are running for office or already hold office. As a member you would be able to nominate yourself, speak on behalf of yourself, and vote for yourself as well.

Can anyone attend the nomination and voting portion of the endorsement meeting?

No, only current members of the King County Young Democrats can attend the voting part of the meeting.

How will I know if you will consider the race I am running in for endorsement?

We try to include as many races as possible to endorse in, however in such a large county with so many races and candidates it is impossible for us to know everything about every race. The best way is to reach out to us to let us know you are interested, and come meet us and speak to us about your race and your plan.

The next-best way is to find someone who is already a member or plans to become one who can nominate you from the floor, and speak on your behalf for why you should be endorsed. This won’t guarantee an endorsement, but it is always better to have a presence at our meetings.

How will I know if I am endorsed?

The night after the endorsements meeting, we will publish a list of our endorsed candidates and ballot measures on our website and Facebook page. We will also send an email to endorsed candidates at the address they have registered with the PDC, or the address provided through the form on our endorsements page.

What happens if you didn’t endorse in my race or if someone you did endorse doesn’t make it through the primary?

If the membership motions and votes to table an endorsement until after the primary; or if membership doesn’t endorse in a specific race for whatever reason; or if someone is endorsed and doesn’t make it through the primary, we hold a second endorsement meeting in September to address races that fall under any of these criteria. However, if we endorse a candidate and they make it through the primary, no consideration will be made for that race in September.