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Elections

Checkers reviewing I-1351 signatures

Checkers reviewing I-1351 signatures

A signature checker reviews some of the signatures for I-1351. (Photo courtesy of Katy Payne) Our Elections Division is busy this week checking signatures that were submitted in early July for Initiative 1351. The initiative, if passed, would affect grades K-12 by lowering class sizes and increasing school staff. For an initiative to qualify for the statewide ballot, there needs to be at least 246,372 valid signatures submitted (8 percent of the votes cast for Governor in the most recent…

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2014 WA Primary: Your vote, your voice

2014 WA Primary: Your vote, your voice

Ten years after Washington voters adopted the Top 2 Primary system by initiative, it’s time for the 2014 edition. Check your mail over the next few days for your Primary ballot.  Although it’s a mid-term election, there are races and propositions that are significant for your community, and we’re hoping for an excellent turnout, state Elections Director Lori Augino said this week. The 2014 Primary actually got under way last month when county election officials sent ballots by mail and…

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2014 Primary: online registration deadline July 7

2014 Primary: online registration deadline July 7

Hey, voters and would-be voters! This year’s Primary is just a few weeks away. In fact, it ends on August 5. If you haven’t registered to vote and want to take part in this year’s Primary, you need to register soon. Monday, July 7, is the deadline for online and mail-in registrations, and voter registration updates. For citizens who have not already registered to vote in Washington, Monday, July 28, is the last day to register in-person at their county…

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Class-size initiative sponsors turn in 330K signatures

Class-size initiative sponsors turn in 330K signatures

Initiative 1351 sponsor Mary Howes leads a group of kids delivering signatures for the ballot measure to the State Elections Division in Olympia. About 30 children were among supporters that delivered nearly 330,000 signatures for an initiative to reduce class sizes in Washington public schools to the State Elections Division  in Olympia Wednesday morning, one day before the deadline to submit signatures for initiatives to the people this year. Initiative 1351 would direct the Legislature to allocate funds to reduce…

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Word from AG: Two Advisory Votes on 2014 ballot

Word from AG: Two Advisory Votes on 2014 ballot

Secretary of State Wyman and our Elections Division recently received notice from the Attorney General’s Office that two Advisory Votes will appear on the 2014 General Election ballot this fall. Advisory Votes are nonbinding measures that let voters say whether they think the Legislature should “repeal” or “maintain” revenue-generating bills that the Legislature passed. Lawmakers used revenue generated from two bills to help balance the state operating budget this year. The first of this year’s measures is Advisory Vote No….

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SecWyman surprises art contest winner

SecWyman surprises art contest winner

Talia Anderson stands next to Secretary Wyman and holds up her winning artwork with her parents, Tamara Keller (left) and Dean Anderson. (Photo courtesy of Jen Estroff) When Talia Anderson joined her fellow Dry Creek Elementary School students for an assembly Tuesday afternoon, she only knew that Secretary of State Kim Wyman was going to speak there. What Anderson didn’t know was that Wyman really was there to inform everyone that the Port Angeles fifth-grader had won this year’s Voters’…

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Filing Week is under way!

Filing Week is under way!

Incumbent Supreme Court justices Debra Stephens (left) and Mary Fairhurst stop by our executive office in the Legislative Building to file in person Monday morning. Filing Week, that official kickoff of the 2014 campaign/election season, is under way. Three incumbent Supreme Court justices, Charles Johnson, Mary Fairhurst and Debra Stephens, and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene of the 1st District, were among those at the starting gate, registering in person at the Secretary of State’s Office in the Capitol. Depending on…

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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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April election ballots being sent to voters

April election ballots being sent to voters

Nearly 1.6 million Washington voters in 21 counties will receive a ballot this week for the April special election, which ends April 22. Some 35 ballot measures will be considered by voters in these counties. The most publicized measure is King County’s Proposition 1, which would authorize a sales tax increase of one-tenth of a cent and an annual $60 vehicle fee (in addition to the state car tab fee) to help pay for transportation improvements. Marysville voters will decide…

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Registration deadline nears for April special election

Registration deadline nears for April special election

The April 22 special election is coming soon, primarily for school measures. If you’re not registered and want to vote in it, you need to register first. Monday (March 24) is the deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration information (for instance, if you changed your name or address) by mail or online. Counties with special elections will be sending out ballots around  April 4. If you aren’t registered to vote in Washington and you want to…

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