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King County jurist declines to block R-71

King County jurist declines to block R-71

King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector has refused to block Referendum 71 from the ballot. Further litigation is considered likely, but state attorneys expect the R-71 election to be on the Nov. 3 ballot across Washington state.  Most voters will be voting by mail; the earliest ballots, for military and overseas voters, must go out by Oct. 3. Minutes after Secretary of State Sam Reed certified the measure to the statewide ballot, the judge turned aside a challenge brought…

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Reed certifies R-71 to fall ballot

Reed certifies R-71 to fall ballot

Secretary of State Sam Reed has certified Referendum 71 to the Nov. 3 statewide ballot in Washington state.  Barring a successful 11th-hour court challenge, voters will decide the fate of a newly adopted state law that gives state-registered domestic partners the full array of rights and responsibilities that married couples have. In brief ceremonies at the state Elections Division headquarters near the state Capitol, Reed signed paperwork certifying that sponsors had submitted the requisite number of valid Washington voter signatures…

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R-71: Signature-count edges to finish line

R-71: Signature-count edges to finish line

State election crews were wrapping up final signature-checks for Referendum 71 Tuesday night, paving the way for Secretary of State Sam Reed to certify the measure to the statewide ballot on Wednesday morning. The referendum is sponsored by foes of the newly adopted “everything but marriage” expansion of state rights for domestic partners who are on the Secretary of State’s domestic partner registry created by the Legislature. Voters’ choice will be to approve or reject the new law, Senate Bill…

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UPDATE: R-71 headed to November statewide ballot

UPDATE: R-71 headed to November statewide ballot

Unofficial and incomplete figures from the state Elections Division shows Referendum 71 with sufficient signatures to make the Nov. 3 General Election ballot in Washington.  It could be the narrowest margin ever for qualifying for the ballot. Sponsors,  a campaign group called Protect Marriage Washington, submitted nearly 138,00o signatures on July 25, needing 120,577 to secure a ballot spot.  As of Monday evening, after all signatures were checked, state checkers accepted 121,617 signatures  — a pad of 1,040 signatures. That…

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R-71 qualifying for November statewide vote

R-71 qualifying for November statewide vote

With the Referendum 71 signature-check now nearly complete, state election officials say they’ve now confirmed that sponsors turned in more than the bare minimum needed for a spot on the November statewide ballot.   Signature-checkers passed the 121,000 mark on Monday,  the 23rd day of an exhaustive hand check of all 137,000-plus signatures submitted on July 25 by foes of a new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law passed by the Legislature in April. It takes 120,577 valid Washington voter signatures…

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R-71 update: Checkers near 80k mark

R-71 update: Checkers near 80k mark

Referendum 71 sponsors now have nearly 70,000 signatures in their column, but still need another 50k to qualify for the Nov. 3 statewide ballot. The measure is sponsored by foes of the state’s newly adopted “everything but marriage” law that gives state-registered domestic partners the same state rights and responsibilities as married couples. As of the Wednesday evening report, Elections Division crews have now checked 79,195 names submitted by the sponsors,  a campaign group called Protect Marriage Washington. The total…

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