Voters in Seattle’s District 3 — which includes Capitol Hill, the Central District and surrounding neighborhoods — will soon receive their ballots in the mail for the Dec. 7 special election which will decide whether Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant will keep her seat on the council or be recalled.

Why is there a recall?

The recall complaint against the council’s only socialist member began last fall when resident Ernest Lou filed a formal petition with the county alleging that Sawant had “used her position in violation of the law or has recklessly undermined the safety of others.”