Early election results show Olympia’s Proposition 1, which sought to raise the city’s minimum wage to $20 dollars an hour and establish a Workers’ Bill of Rights (Prop 1), is likely to fail. As of November 4, preliminary tallies showed 56 percent of voters opposing the measure and 44 percent in favor, with about 8,600 ballots counted.
The proposal included provisions for predictive scheduling, additional work hours for current employees before hiring new staff, and different wage tiers based on business size. While supporters argued the measure would help workers meet the region’s high cost of living, opponents expressed concern about the potential economic impact on small businesses and nonprofits.
This outcome reflects the effective grassroots efforts of Olympia Together, a volunteer-based coalition of small businesses, former city leaders, and community members who rallied to educate voters about the potential unintended consequences of the measure –all on a shoestring budget.
Amalie O’Connor, volunteer-coordinator of Olympia Together, expressed deep gratitude to Olympia voters for engaging thoughtfully with Proposition 1 and for affirming the importance of balanced, sustainable solutions created within our community. The group emphasized its commitment to continuing conversations and working collaboratively to address local challenges moving forward.
Based on turnout trends from Olympia’s 2023 City Council race, the initial ballot count likely represents just over half of total ballots expected. Interestingly, many of the same voters also re-elected City Council incumbents who were vocal supporters of Prop 1.
WR extends gratitude to board member Ruthann Goularte, owner of Drees, a cherished downtown Olympia retailer, for her service on the “Con” Committee in the Voters’ Pamphlet. WR hopes that voters in the City of Tacoma, where a similar measure is expected to appear on the February 2026 special election ballot, will look to Olympia’s example and reject a one-size-fits-all proposal developed without meaningful local input. Final election results will be certified later this month.
