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Tag: Elections Director Nick Handy

Happy trails: Nick Handy retiring as Elections Director

Happy trails: Nick Handy retiring as Elections Director

Nick Handy is stepping down as State Elections Director after leading widely praised reform efforts that have boosted voter turnout and helped restore confidence in the elections process. Secretary of State Sam Reed announced today that Handy, 62, will retire at the end of the month after his seven-year tenure in the high-visibility, high-pressure post. Reed has promoted Handy’s two top lieutenants, Katie Blinn and Shane Hamlin, as acting co-directors of the Division of Elections. Reed had high praise for…

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Murray, Rossi advance in WA Senate primary

Murray, Rossi advance in WA Senate primary

Incumbent Sen. Patty Murray and challenger Dino Rossi are advancing to Washington’s November Senate election. As expected, the three-term veteran Murray and Rossi, a former Republican state Senate budget chairman who ran for governor in 2004 and 2008,  easily emerged from a 15-person field in Washington’s primary Tuesday night. Although many votes remain to be tallied in the coming days, Murray had 46 percent and Rossi 34 percent as the election night tabulations were totalled. Clint Didier, who was backed…

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Voters wild about `direct democracy’

Voters wild about `direct democracy’

The use of  the initiative and referendum process ebbs and flows from year to year, seeming to track the economy and whether interest groups believe Olympia is attentive to their issues.  This year is one of those high-watermark years, with a record 75 initiatives to the people  filed and six headed for a statewide vote after meeting the significant signature requirement. According to a new tally from the state Elections Division Thursday, 2,230,902 signatures were submitted this year in support…

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SecState requests patrol probe of I-1098 sig fraud

SecState requests patrol probe of I-1098 sig fraud

The Secretary of State’s Election Division is asking the Washington State Patrol to look into apparent fraud by a petition-gatherer for Initiative 1098. The initiative, a plan for a high-wage earner income tax and lower other taxes, apparently is headed to the statewide ballot. Crews are mid-way through a random check of signatures. Sponsors submitted about 350,000 signatures on about 25,000 petition sheets, and a random sample of 11,545 signatures are being checked. As part of the standard practice of…

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Gregoire leaving? Then what?

Gregoire leaving? Then what?

Amid speculation that Governor Gregoire could be President Obama’s pick for U.S. Solicitor General , our elections folks are getting bombarded with questions about succession, special elections and so forth. Here is an internal memo from Elections Director Nick Handy and Assistant Director Katie Blinn: “If the Governor were to resign, the following would apply. The “duties of the office shall devolve upon the  Lieutenant Governor” without any action by anyone. If the Governor were to resign May 31 or…

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9th Circuit will rehear WA felon voter case

9th Circuit will rehear WA felon voter case

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear a challenge of Washington’s longstanding ban on voting by felons. Today’s development, handed down in a one-paragraph, three-line order signed by Chief Judge  Alex Kozinski, said the circuit court judges have agreed to rehear the case. No timeline was specified, but Kozinki and 10 judges drawn at random from the circuit will hear the case. Just a few months ago, in January, a three-judge panel from the circuit handed down…

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