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Tag: County auditors

February 2018 Special Election: Turnout insights

February 2018 Special Election: Turnout insights

All but two of Washington’s 39 counties held special elections earlier this month, and the results have now been certified. As of Friday, Feb. 23, the counts became official: 896,507 of the state’s 2,761,020 eligible registered voters had weighed in on hundreds of local issues, largely related to government structure and tax propositions. Those figures provide a few insights: The 32.5 percent voter turnout rate is the lowest for a February special election in the last decade, which is as…

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`Watershed year’: WA voting season under way!

`Watershed year’: WA voting season under way!

Washington’s voting period for the 2016 Election is under way, with counties mailing about 4.2 million ballots and awaiting a robust turnout of at least 80 percent. A handful of counties sent ballots on Tuesday and nearly all the rest were scheduled to go out Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is the deadline for outbound mail. Deadline for a postmark is Election Day, Nov. 8, and drop boxes may be used before 8 p.m. that day. A record 4,250,526 Washington residents…

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Secretary Wyman, auditors propose election reforms

Secretary Wyman, auditors propose election reforms

Secretary of State Kim Wyman and county election leaders have announced a bipartisan proposal to clear the way to check for citizenship of people who want to register and vote in Washington. At a news conference in Spokane on Friday, Wyman and county partners proposed legislation for the upcoming session that would adopt the REAL ID Act for Washington. That would mean people would have to present citizenship verification to get a driver’s license, and election administrators could then do…

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WA candidate Filing Week `important kickoff’

WA candidate Filing Week `important kickoff’

It all becomes official when Washington candidates for public office file their papers with election officials during the week of May 12-16. Filing by mail, now a little-used option, began quietly on April 28. But the more popular methods of filing for office, in-person or online, will take place during Filing Week.  Depending on the office sought, candidates will file either with the Secretary of State’s Office (on the 2nd floor of the Capitol) or with their county auditor. The…

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ERIC helps WA upgrade voter registration

ERIC helps WA upgrade voter registration

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and the 39 county election departments are breaking new ground as they begin updating over 53,000 voter registration records and mail voter registration information to more than 140,000 potentially eligible, but unregistered residents. Updating such a large number of records and conducting focused registration education recently has become possible, thanks to the state’s leadership and participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is a non-profit organization that assists states with improving the…

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Evelyn Arnold joins Secretary Wyman’s team

Evelyn Arnold joins Secretary Wyman’s team

Evelyn Arnold shares a story as Secretary Wyman (middle) and Elections Director Lori Augino (right) listen. Evelyn Arnold, former Chelan County Auditor and King County elections official, has joined the Office of Secretary of State as financial services manager. Monday was her first day on the job and it was “old home week” at a Capitol reception in her honor.  She and Secretary of State Kim Wyman are old friends, dating back to 1991, when Arnold was a new county…

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Elections 101: Honors and back to school

Elections 101: Honors and back to school

Capping this year’s Washington State Elections Conference, Secretary Reed presented two big awards before about 220 county auditors and other state and county elections officials. The Voter Outreach Award went to Shirley Forslof, who has been Whatcom County Auditor since 1988. Reed and State Elections Director Nick Handy praised Forslof for working well with the county’s voter activist communities, participating in the state’s college civics program and for working closely with the county’s higher education communities. “Shirley is an excellent…

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