Once again this year, voters with a conscience are faced with a multitude of electoral races in which the only people with a chance to win are people you'd rather chew your face off than vote for.

The sensible response is to pretend large, unfriendly reptiles are waiting to feed upon you in the voting booth. But this year is also a good demonstration of why voting can matter: a slew of important initiatives are on the ballot. Plus, there are races--generally the less heralded ones--where the outcome counts.

Most notable in this regard is the battle for the state Senate. The Democrats need to gain two seats to regain a majority in Olympia's upper house. With new, more aggressive leadership, this would hopefully--no guarantees--bring a stop to the onslaught of destructive, mean-spirited legislation the Republicans (and Gary Locke) have passed into law the past two years. At stake: the future of public education and higher ed in the state, the possible dismantling of the Basic Health Plan (the last surviving remnant of health care reform), the survival of the last six or seven salmon and old growth trees under state care, and budgets that continue to insist, in a time of plenty, that the best way to help the poor (and everyone else) is to transfer money from the middle class to the rich.

So, for those who brave the reptilian danger and head into the polls (or face the danger at your own convenience through absentee ballotting), here's a look at what's up for grabs this time.

The Ballot Measures

I-688: This would give a long-overdue raise in the state's minimum wage--now below the federal level--and tie it to a version of the Consumer Price Index so that it couldn't slide back in the future. Vote for it twice. Maybe more. An emphatic Yes.

I-692: The second medical marijuana bill in two years has eliminated all the tough-on-crime crap that forced us to urge a "no" vote last year. What's left is a common-sense recognition that doctors prescribe far more toxic substances than hemp every day--they should have the right to use a drug with proven medical value. Yes, but keep an eye out for a vicious attack on the bill by federal anti-drug zealots if it passes--that's what has happened in California with Prop. 215 over the last two years, where most open pot buyers' clubs have now been shut down.

I-694: Who to believe? Advocates of this ban on so-called partial birth abortion say it bans a very specific and particularly unsavory form of abortion. Foes say the law is so broadly written it could bring all availability of abortion to a screeching halt, especially in rural parts of the state, while it's litigated. I believe the foes. I-694's sponsors are the Bruce Craswell crowd--they want to ban all abortions, and they're not above lying to do it. (Lying, you see, is less sinful than murdering the preborn.) No Way In Hell.

Referendum 49 The Republican legislature's bailout on the state's transportation mess. Rather than have the cajones to raise taxes directly, through a gas tax, this would issue 25 years of bonds for five years' improvements. The referendum doesn't specify what projects will be funded--pork, anyone?--and does nothing to ease the race to gridlock evident along I-5 from Portland to Bellingham. There's nothing for transit here, for example. No, with instructions that the legislature get it right this year.

I-200 No No No No No If you believe that racism is dead in America, that we live in a colorblind society, then vote yes--that's the message we'll be sending to the nation, regardless of your opinion on the effectiveness of affirmative action. Of course, if you believe racism and sexism no longer exists here--that's here, in Washington state--then you've got your head so far up a place where the sun doesn't shine that the moss has eaten away at your brain.

City of Seattle Prop. 1: Raises money for a new downtown library and to buttress the city's long-suffering branches. Siting of the downtown library has been a botched process; but in the effort, more neighborhood input and more money for branches has made this a much better proposal. Yes.

The Candidates

State Supreme Court Pos. 1 Long-time jurist Faith Ireland against the guy who didn't campaign at all in the primary, but had a good name, rural attorney Jim Foley. Foley points out that almost all of the Supreme Court is from Seattle, and pledges common sense. He's made much more attractive-sounding noises about protecting civil liberties and questioning corporate handouts than Ireland, who despite her gender is very much a prosecutor in robes and part of the Old Boy Network. Foley.

State Supreme Court Pos. 5 Barbara Madsen has been one of the lesser evils on the state Supreme Court; her opponent, Jim Bates, has been a trial judge for much of his adult life, which is supposed to be a qualification. Madsen.

King County Prosecutor. Norm Maleng is an asshole. But so is his Democratic opponent, Fred Canavor. Abolish the office.

King County District Court, Seattle: As we noted in the primary, Barbara Linde is contemptuous of the idea of a public defender, rather than a prosecutor (like her), on the bench. It's a major part of what's wrong with the judiciary. At least her Position 1 opponent, Kevin Dolan, is a PD. Dolan. In positions 2, 3, 4, and 5, incumbents Mark Chow, Darcy Goodman, Eileen Kato, and Monica Benton are unopposed. Vote "no"

Seattle Municipal Court: Theresa Doyle is unopposed in Position 1; same for Ronald Kessler in #2, Ron Mamiya in #3, George Holifield in #5, Michael Hurtado in #6, Helen Halpert in #7, Jean Rietschel in #10, and Fred Bonner in #11. Is this getting a little redundant, or what? The idea of holding judges accountable through elections is enough of a joke already because people know so little about them; it's even worse when nobody has the inclination to run (or courage to risk retribution).

In the contested races, Pos. 4 finds liberal incumbent Judith Hightower facing a challenge from Darrel Johnson, who, judging from the voters' pamphlet, seems to find drunk driving a major menace to civilization. That's no reason to replace Hightower, who drew a lot of criticism recently for refusing to jail a homeless man from the Jungle because Seattle wasn't providing enough shelters. It sounds like a decision so obvious to not be worth comment, but apparently it really does require a judicial spine in Seattle to not outlaw homelessness. We need more Hightowers.

In Pos. 12, Mark Tackitt takes on incumbent Kimi Kondo, without giving any particular reason why he'd be better. Kondo's no great shakes--but Tackitt's spare time hobby is Civil War battle re-creation. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. Kondo.

State Representative: The following are unopposed, or effectively unopposed: Eileen Cody (D-11 Pos. 1); Velma Veloria (D-11/2); Jim McCune (R-33/1); Karen Keiser (D-33/2); Erik Poulsen (D-34/1); Dow Constantine (D-34/2); Helen Sommers (D-36/1); Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36/2); Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-37/1); Kip Tokuda (D-37/2); Ed Murray (D-43/1); Frank Chopp (D-43/2); Jim McIntire (D-46/1); Phyllis Kenney (D-46/2). All should be opposed, just because democracy demands it; there are literally no competitive races in Seattle proper. Of particular worthiness for support: Kwame Garrett, a "Lincoln Republican" running against Santos in the 37th; Guerry Hoddersen, the Freedom Socialist Party organizer running for the other 37th seat; and Nick Slepko, Republican running against old-boy-network UW policy wonk Jim McIntire in the 46th.

State Senate: The following are unopposed, or effectively unopposed: Julia Patterson (D-33); Mike Heavey (D-34); Jeanne Kohl (D-36); Adam Kline (D-37); Pat Thibaudeau (D-43); Ken Jacobsen (D-46). Write in Bulworth. He's fictional, he's dead, and as such would be an improvement on all these ossified trough-feeders.

U.S. Representative: Jim McDermott and Jennifer Dunn effectively face no opposition and for that reason alone (there are others) should be opposed. In the 9th District, south of Seattle, right-centrist Dem Adam Smith takes on right-wing zealot Ron Taber, who is trying to present a kinder, gentler face as the election nears. Fortunately, Tabor doesn't have much of a chance of winning, so it's safe to skip it. To the north, in the 1st, Jay Inslee and incumbent Repub Rick White are racing to the center. White claims, falsely, to be an environmentalist who cares. Inslee may be just another Demo hack, but he won points while running for governor two years ago by railing, long before it was fashionable to do so, against welfare for sports stadiums. Let's try a different centrist. Inslee.

U.S. Senate: Gawd, this choice sucks. Patty Murray: incompetent in her lawmaking and betrayer of her core constituents in almost every issue possible. DOMA backer, Salvage Logging Rider apologist, free trade champion, Hanford nuke restarter, perpetrator of welfare reform shenanigans, whore for Boeing, all-around corporate shill. Linda Smith: Right-wing bigot, fake populist, gutter of state social services via I-601 spending caps, anti-union crusader, champion of a meaner, harsher theocracy. The question: do we vote for Murray out of self-defense to avoid Smith? It's likely to be a much closer race than polls suggest. Or has Murray's fake "Mom in Tennis Shoes" shtick been so repulsive that she cannot in good conscience be voted for, no matter how bad the opponent? A vote for Murray rewards the very intentional calculation that she can defraud every one of her core constituencies in the secure knowledge they have nowhere else to go. What is the worst possible outcome? Smith wins, and Washington state is saddled with two awful Senators. We've got that now. A Murray loss just might keep a Senator or two in some other state a little more honest, mitigating Washington state's two bad apples. If Murray wins? Judging by her current trajectory, she could be to the right of Gorton by 2000. It wouldn't be any more of a betrayal than what she's already done. People who claim that she'll somehow be more liberal after re-election are probably the same folks who told us that about Clinton. Vote for decency. Cast a vote you can live with in the morning. Write in someone else, and hurl rotten garbage at both of them.