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Elections

2013 Primary underway

2013 Primary underway

If you’re a registered voter, make sure to check your mail over the next few days. Washington’s 2013 Primary is underway and county elections officials are mailing ballots this week to most of the state’s registered voters. Military and overseas ballots already have gone out. Because this is an odd-numbered year, the Primary, which ends Aug. 6, will be dominated by local races, mostly nonpartisan. The Primary includes three special state Senate races in the 7th (Northeast Washington), 8th (part…

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I-594 ballot title revised; gun-control group free to collect sigs

I-594 ballot title revised; gun-control group free to collect sigs

I-594 sponsor Cheryl Stumbo Sponsors of an initiative for background checks on gun sales now have a green light to begin collecting signatures for Initiative to the Legislature 594. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham has made some changes to the ballot title, the last step before backers could print petition sheets and begin gathering voter signatures for the 2014 Legislature and/or the 2014 general election ballot. The Attorney General’s Office, which drafted the original version, said the new…

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New elections award goes to Island Co. Auditor

New elections award goes to Island Co. Auditor

From left: State Elections Director Lori Augino, Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider, Dodie Hanby (sitting) and Loann Gulick. Hanby and Gulick are longtime county elections employees. When State Elections Director Lori Augino told Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider that she was stopping by the Auditor’s Office in Coupeville for a test of the county’s elections system, Augino only hinted to Crider that she was also hand-delivering something to her. It turns out, that “something” was a new award given by…

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No initiative to the people will be on ballot this fall

No initiative to the people will be on ballot this fall

For the first year since 1989, an initiative to the people won’t be placed before Washington voters. Friday, July 5, is the deadline for initiative sponsors to submit signatures to our Elections Division. However, an Elections staffer says she expects no initiative sponsors to turn in signatures by the deadline. The sponsor for I-1307, the Washington State Firearms Freedom Act , had told the Elections staff that he planned to bring in several hundred signatures Friday afternoon, but he changed…

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2013 Primary: Registration deadline July 8

2013 Primary: Registration deadline July 8

Attention voters and would-be voters! This year’s Primary is just a few weeks away. In fact, the Primary will end on August 6. If you haven’t registered to vote and want to take part in this year’s Primary, you need to act soon. Monday, July 8, 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 29, is the last day to register in-person at…

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New video focuses on military voting

New video focuses on military voting

We’ve just finished a cool new video that chronicles efforts on behalf of our office to assist military voters. Watch the video here. Entitled “Serving Those Who Serve – A Guide to Military Voting in Washington State,” the approximately 10 minute video aims to educate military members living in Washington or overseas, a group of voters who represent one of the most mobile demographics. Washington has a large military population, and almost 50,000 registered military voters. The state enjoys a…

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Gun-control advocates file initiative to Legislature

Gun-control advocates file initiative to Legislature

Paul Benz and Cheryl Stumbo talk to the media after filing their initiative to the Legislature. Continuing the debate that began in the Legislature after the Newtown shootings, gun-control advocates have filed an initiative to the Legislature to require universal background checks on gun purchases. The measure was filed with the Secretary of State on Tuesday by Faith Action Network, including Cheryl Stumbo, who was gravely wounded by a gunman at the Seattle Jewish Center, and Paul Benz, a longtime…

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How art and elections come together

How art and elections come together

From left: Bennett Elementary principal Nicole Hepworth, Bennett art teacher Gina Ray, State Elections Director Lori Augino, art contest winner Amy Shell and Secretary of State Kim Wyman. (Photo courtesy of JulieAnne Behar.) The General Election Voters’ Pamphlet that Washington residents receive each fall includes plenty of helpful info about candidates and ballot measures so voters can make informed choices when they fill out their ballot. Besides providing lots of fodder for the analytical left side of your brain, the…

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Cowlitz County Auditor receives top honor

Cowlitz County Auditor receives top honor

While appearing at the annual Washington State Association of County Auditors Conference in Spokane last week, Secretary of State Kim Wyman presented Cowlitz County Auditor Kris Swanson with the Secretary of State’s 2013 County Auditor of the Year award. “Her hard work for the people of her county is admirable and sets an example for all public officials. However, it is the dedication to her work that extends beyond her county borders that earned Kris this award,” Wyman said. Swanson’s…

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Scenes from the ’13 College Civics tour

Scenes from the ’13 College Civics tour

(Secretary Wyman and Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton (seated left) with Spokane Falls Community College students. Photos courtesy of Lindsay Pryor.) After crisscrossing Washington state this week, Secretary Wyman has finished her first College Civics tour. During the 14-campus tour that began in mid-April, Wyman talked with students about the importance and power of voting and how to become involved on campus and in the community. Wyman said student-developed events were “amazing … and a lot of fun for everyone. …

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