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Candidate filing week
Time to sign up to run on the 2018 ballot

Time to sign up to run on the 2018 ballot

Although fervent politicking began weeks ago in races across the state, the official start of election season arrives Monday, with the beginning of Candidate Filing Week 2018. From May 14-18, candidates for federal, state, and local offices from county commissioner to U.S. Senator must register with county elections offices or the Office of Secretary of State to get their names onto ballots for this year’s elections cycle. The 596 races on this year’s Washington ballots include legislative races in every…

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R-71 public records update: Release ban continues

R-71 public records update: Release ban continues

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle has ruled that Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed   will continue to be blocked from releasing Referendum 71 signatures while challengers mount a federal court case that aims to keep the 138,000 names under wraps permanently. The judge, in a brief hearing in his courtroom in Tacoma on Wednesday, agreed to the Reed’s request for an expedited hearing schedule. The challengers, Protect Marriage Washington, will release a list of its witnesses so the Attorney General…

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R-71 sponsors renew bid to ban petition release

R-71 sponsors renew bid to ban petition release

UPDATE:  The Friday hearing referred to by anti-gay marriage activists will not occur. The judge has temporarily dismissed their motion to ban release of R-71 petitions, but they can re-file the request after the U.S. Supreme Court officially returns the case to the U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Original post, with the new timing information added: It’s back to court again, as foes of last year’s Referendum 71 renew a request that the petitions be sealed from public disclosure. Protect…

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It’s raining initiatives …

It’s raining initiatives …

As we’ve noted, the initiative process is alive and well in Washington, with little apparent “chilling” due to the state’s policy of releasing signatures of signers. (The U.S. Supreme Court has just held the disclosure policy in an 8-1 ruling written by the chief justice.) We’ve seen a record number of initiatives filed this year (75 initiatives to the people and 4 initiatives to the Legislature), and we’re seeing turn-ins with very large numbers of signatures, nearly 400,000 in one…

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Reed, McKenna optimistic about R-71 case

Reed, McKenna optimistic about R-71 case

Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed emerged from the U.S. Supreme Court today optimistic that the high court will allow Washington and other states to treat initiative and referendum petitions as releasable public records. McKenna, making his third appearance before the court, and Reed, the state’s chief elections officer, both said they counted a majority of the justices who seemed sympathetic to Washington’s argument that the vote-approved Public Records Act requires release of petitions to those…

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Here come da judge*

Here come da judge*

In addition to the U.S. Senate race, Washington’s 2010 ballot also will include three other statewide elected positions – three Supreme Court seats.  Washington has nine justices, each elected for six-year terms, elected in classes of three.  Got that? Sometimes there are vacancies and a huge battle ensues for the top state judicial post.  This year, all three incumbents are seeking re-election – Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, Justice Richard Sanders and, as of his announcement on Wednesday, Justice James Johnson.  …

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R-71 petitions: Supreme Court sets April hearing

R-71 petitions: Supreme Court sets April hearing

The U.S. Supreme Court has set an April 28 hearing date for a nationally watched public records-elections case arising from Washington’s practice of allow public release of initiative and referendum petitions under terms of the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act. The high court last month agreed to hear an appeal brought by opponents of Washington’s new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law.  Now the court has scheduled the oral arguments for Wednesday morning, April 28, the last case currently docketed…

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Felon voter update: State will appeal to high court

Felon voter update: State will appeal to high court

Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed of Washington will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the state’s appeal of the  Tuesday’s federal court ruling that overturned the state’s longstanding practice of not allowing felons to vote while in prison or on community supervision.  Governor Gregoire, herself a former attorney general, says she strongly supports the move. The state will also quickly ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to put its ruling on hold while…

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Court to decide Jan. 15 whether to take R-71 case

Court to decide Jan. 15 whether to take R-71 case

The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced that it will decide on January 15, 2010, whether to accept or reject the appeal of last fall’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that upheld Washington State’s practice of treating ballot measure petitions as releasable public records. The high court will meet on the 15th to review several cases, voting on each whether to accept or reject. The court likely will announce later that day or the following Monday if it will take…

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WA to high court: Don’t take R-71 petition case

WA to high court: Don’t take R-71 petition case

The Washington Attorney General is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to turn aside a request to block the state from releasing Referendum 71 petitions. On Jan. 8, the high court is expected to consider a request from R-71 opponents to hear their challenge of an appeals court decision that upheld the state’s practice of treating petitions as releasable public records.  We should know shortly thereafter whether the court will take the case.  The earliest it could get on the calendar…

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