Public safety is the primary concern for Seattle voters

The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce unveiled findings of a poll, revealing that public safety has emerged as the primary concern for local voters, overtaking homelessness.

The report from The Index highlights a significant improvement in the city’s quality of life, reaching its highest point since 2021, yet underscores the urgent need for action on public safety, particularly regarding drug use. The Index is the Seattle Metro Chamber’s research project to surface what voters believe so that debates on key issues unfold in a way that more accurately reflects how voters actually feel about living in the region.

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“The Chamber conducts this voter research because the quality of life is crucial for attracting and retaining employees and influences business decisions to stay or locate here,” Rachel Smith, president and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber, said in a news release. “These Index results show that voters are aligned on solutions that will benefit the business community and the broader community.”

The survey indicates that while progress has been made in addressing homelessness, public safety issues, especially open-air drug use, continue to impact businesses and hinder further improvements in the quality-of-life rating.

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“Our spring report introduced the term ‘incremental optimism,’ and today, I would simply call it optimism,” Smith said. “The Index shows voters believe we are turning a corner and maintaining our quality-of-life gains. This fall’s results mark the largest increase in the Index rating we’ve seen, suggesting that our path forward involves focusing on the basics, managing the city budget, supporting businesses, addressing public safety and drug use, and seizing opportunities for the city’s and region’s benefit.”

Key Findings:

• The Index quality-of-life rating has risen to 4.66, the highest since the research began, up from 3.89 in fall 2021.
• Public safety has overtaken homelessness as the top concern for voters.
• 69% of voters believe city policies that have increased business costs and failed to address public safety adequately make it difficult to start or grow a business in Seattle. Three-quarters of voters say improving the business environment would enhance the quality of life.
• 40% of voters agree that the city has made meaningful progress in reducing homeless encampments.
• 75% of voters believe shutting down open-air drug markets would significantly improve the quality of life, with half rating this a 7 on a 7-point scale.
• Nearly 70% of voters think the city should address any budget deficit by prioritizing essential services, supporting vulnerable residents, and reducing non-critical spending before considering tax increases. Conversely, 31% support maintaining current spending levels and raising new taxes to cover the deficit.
• A majority of voters support completing the light rail from West Seattle to Ballard, bringing back the Sonics, leveraging FIFA World Cup opportunities, and lidding I-5.

The polling, conducted by EMC Research, surveyed 700 Seattle voters across each council district from Sept. 5-15.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.