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Elections

FAQs about those tax advisory votes

FAQs about those tax advisory votes

We’re getting lots of questions about a relatively new form of ballot measure in Washington state — the statewide tax advisory vote.   Here are some FAQs to help shed some light: Q. What are these Advisory Votes 3 through 7 that I see in my Voters’ Pamphlet? A.  These are nonbinding measures that let voters say whether they think the Legislature should “repeal” or “maintain” revenue-generating bills that lawmakers passed this year.  The Legislature used the $200 million from these…

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Oct. 28 deadline to register in person before fall election

Oct. 28 deadline to register in person before fall election

If you’re not currently registered to vote in Washington and you want to vote in the General Election, Oct. 28 is your last chance. That’s the deadline to register in person at your county elections department. To register to vote, you must be: • A United States citizen • A legal resident of Washington State • At least 18 years old by Election Day • Not disqualified from voting due to a court order • Not under state Department of…

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Looking for historic Voters’ Pamphlets? State Library has ‘em

Looking for historic Voters’ Pamphlets? State Library has ‘em

Just as turkey and football are Thanksgiving staples, the Voters’ Pamphlet is a regular feature during each fall’s General Election in Washington. In fact, you should have received the Voters’ Pamphlet in the mail for this year’s election. Did you know that the Office of Secretary of State is required by the Washington Constitution to send the Voters’ Pamphlet to every residence in the state? We’ve been doing just that since the state’s very first Voters’ Pamphlet, in 1914. Below…

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WA 2013 election underway this week

WA 2013 election underway this week

Washington’s general Election Day used to be just that, a single day in November.  Today, it’s an election season of nearly three weeks — and the 2013 edition gets underway this week. Starting Wednesday, Oct. 16, ballots are being mailed to over 3.9 million registered voters — a near-record.  Voters may fill out their ballots right away or hold off awhile. Although election officials recommend returning ballots promptly, the voter does face a Nov. 5 deadline to have their ballot…

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3.2 million WA Voters’ Pamphlets are hot off the presses!

3.2 million WA Voters’ Pamphlets are hot off the presses!

Ready to vote in this fall’s General Election? Make sure to first read the always-helpful Voters’ Pamphlet that is arriving in your mailbox this week. If you don’t receive your Voters’ Pamphlet by Oct. 22, please call the Voter Hotline at (800) 448-4881 for assistance. The Voters’ Pamphlet, provided by our Elections Division, is packed with useful information about state candidates and measures found on this fall’s ballot. It includes info on the two statewide initiatives on the ballot: Initiative…

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Gun-control I-594 sponsors submit first batch of signatures

Gun-control I-594 sponsors submit first batch of signatures

As supporters look on, I-594 sponsor Cheryl Stumbo is interviewed by the media after signatures were delivered to the Elections Division. Sponsors of gun-safety Initiative 594 have turned in an estimated 250,000 signatures to our Elections Division, intending to bring in enough additional signatures by the submission deadline of Jan. 3 to assure validation to the Legislature and possibly the 2014 statewide ballot. I-594, which was filed last June as an initiative to the Legislature, requires universal background checks on…

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Wyman talks elections with Evergreen students

Wyman talks elections with Evergreen students

Secretary of State Wyman speaks to students in Sen. Karen Fraser’s Legislative Policy course at The Evergreen State College. (Photos courtesy of Jennifer Way) Secretary of State Kim Wyman was a guest speaker for state Sen. Karen Fraser’s nuts and bolts Legislative Policy course at The Evergreen State College last Saturday. The students in this class are enrolled in Evergreen’s Masters of Public Administration degree program, many only in their first year. The hit-home message of Wyman’s elections presentation that…

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Online voter registratation deadline is Monday

Online voter registratation deadline is Monday

Chase Warren, who just turned 18, holds up his voter registration form, completed on his birthday. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Way) Congratulations to Chase Warren of Olympia, not only for his 18th birthday but for remembering to register to vote! Chase stopped by our office Friday afternoon, quickly and painlessly filled out a voter registration form, and left as a Washingtonian voter. He helped Washington move just a little closer to the 4-million-registered-voter mark. Chase chose to register the old-school…

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Check out our General Election radio ads

Check out our General Election radio ads

Every fall, the Office of Secretary of State does radio ads about the General Election. With the 2013 election fast approaching, the first of our three radio ads featuring Secretary of State Kim Wyman is starting to air on many stations across Washington. The ad informs listeners that our state’s in-person voter registration deadline for people who are not currently registered is Oct. 28. (Online registration or update is available through Oct. 7.) Our other radio ads, which start airing…

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Tuesday’s National Voter Registration Day

Tuesday’s National Voter Registration Day

If you haven’t registered to vote in Washington, Tuesday’s just the prompt you need. Sept. 24 is National Voter Registration Day as designated by the National Association of Secretaries of State and Secretary of State Kim Wyman. Wyman, who sits on the NASS executive board, encourages all eligible Washington citizens who haven’t registered yet to do so in time to vote in the General Election this fall.  Washington has more than 3.9 million active registered voters, well above the 3.5…

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