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Category: gay-marriage referendum

Wyman: Zero-tolerance for petition fraud

Wyman: Zero-tolerance for petition fraud

Secretary Wyman, whose office oversees “direct democracy” through ballot measures, says she’s gratified that a jail term has been ordered for a Snohomish County woman who was convicted of initiative fraud. The jail term, believed to be the first such sentence for this type of fraud, underscores that Washington has “zero tolerance” for petition fraud, Secretary Wyman said. The six-month jail/work-release sentence was imposed by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Anita Farris on Julie Klein, 54, Marysville, The Herald of…

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WA voters: Yes to gay marriage, Obama & Democrats …

WA voters: Yes to gay marriage, Obama & Democrats …

But the governor’s race, the marquee state contest in the General Election, remains very close.  Democrat Jay Inslee, who gave up a safe congressional seat to run for the office being vacated by two-term Gov. Chris Gregoire, led Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna 51.32 percent to 48.68 percent, or about 50,000 votes out of nearly 1.9 million counted.  Inslee told cheering supporters it looked like victory, but didn’t declare himself the winner in so many words.  McKenna, still seeing a…

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Secretary Reed: YOUR vote is your voice

Secretary Reed: YOUR vote is your voice

Secretary of State Sam Reed is urging voters to take part in “one of the most significant and interesting elections in modern times.”  He said enthusiasm is “sky-high” in Washington, which regularly enjoys one of the best voter participation rates in the country. Reed noted that more than 8 out of 10 voters are expected to cast ballots, with some counties forecasting turnout even higher than the 81 percent he has predicted statewide.  He said he would be delighted, of…

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Secretary Reed’s `robust’ turnout prediction? 81 percent

Secretary Reed’s `robust’ turnout prediction? 81 percent

Secretary of State Sam Reed, Washington’s chief elections official, is predicting a robust voter turnout of 81 percent in the General Election that is currently underway. Reed figures that Washington voters will be attracted by highly competitive races for president and governor, hot races for Legislature and Congress, and some of the most compelling ballot measures in the country. Washington has nearly 3.9 million registered voters – an all-time high – and more are expected to be added, since new…

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WA 2012 election is underway!

WA 2012 election is underway!

Washington’s long-awaited General Election is underway. Over 3.85 million registered voters are being mailed their ballots by their county elections office, starting Wednesday, and the official Voters’ Pamphlet already has arrived in most Washington homes. Voters are free to mark and return the ballots just as soon as they wish, Secretary of State Sam Reed noted today.  Postmark deadline is Nov. 6, although Reed strongly recommended that voters get their ballots in the mail several days ahead of that so…

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Charter-school I-1240 qualifies for statewide ballot

Charter-school I-1240 qualifies for statewide ballot

And then there were six. Secretary of State Sam Reed has certified charter-school Initiative 1240 to the November statewide ballot. It will be the fourth time Washington voters have dealt with the issue in the past 16 years. The measure earned a place on the ballot after submitting over 357,000 signatures that sponsors collected in a remarkably short 21-day signature-gathering drive financed by powerful backers, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. With I-1240 getting the green light, Washington voters now will…

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Eyman tax crackdown measure qualifies for ballot

Eyman tax crackdown measure qualifies for ballot

Initiative activist Tim Eyman has secured a spot on the statewide General Election ballot for Initiative 1185, a plan to re-establish a voter mandate for a two-thirds vote in both houses for any taxes passed in Olympia. Even as Secretary of State Sam Reed was signing the certification for I-1185, state Election Division workers were already at work on checking signatures for I-1240, a plan to authorize a limited number of publicly financed charter schools in Washington. That measure, also…

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Charter school fans, Eyman submit initiative sigs

Charter school fans, Eyman submit initiative sigs

State Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, a charter schools supporter, talks with the media after I-1240 signatures were submitted Friday morning. Sponsors of two citizen initiatives have submitted signatures far in excess of the 241,000 bare minimum needed to qualify, and appear to be in good position to make the November statewide ballot. That would bring to six the number of state ballot propositions facing the voters, including gay marriage and marijuana decriminalization. Friday — four months before Election Day —…

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R-74 qualifies for ballot

R-74 qualifies for ballot

It’s official: Referendum 74 will be on the state’s General Election ballot this fall. R-74 qualified after the signature-verification check was completed early Tuesday afternoon and then certified, clearing its way onto the ballot. Since the 247,331 signatures turned in by the sponsors were far more than the minimum of 120,577 valid signatures from registered Washington voters needed to make the ballot, a 3 percent sample check was conducted. Of the 7,561 signatures that were sampled during the check, 6,877…

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R-74 sig check begins; Patrol asked to probe apparent fraud

R-74 sig check begins; Patrol asked to probe apparent fraud

The signature-verification check for Referendum 74 is underway, and the state Elections Division has asked the Washington State Patrol to investigate apparent fraud by one of the paid signature-gatherers. The questioned petition sheets have been set aside and will not affect the signature-check for R-74, which is widely expected to qualify for the fall ballot. R-74 gives voters a chance to approve or reject the state’s newly passed law that allows civil marriage for same-sex couples. Before getting started with…

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