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Elections

WA Elections project nets 27k new voters

WA Elections project nets 27k new voters

The Pew Charitable Trusts is drawing attention to a low-tech special outreach project in Washington – postcards sent out by snail mail – that resulted in 27,000 new voter registrations. The State Elections Division sent out cards to over 200,000 unregistered and apparently eligible citizens over 18 before the last election and netted more than 27k new registrations. It’s the fourth year the outreach mailings have gone out, netting nearly 104,000 new registrations, said state Elections Director Lori Augino. The…

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Wyman announces final PrezPrimary list

Wyman announces final PrezPrimary list

Secretary of State Kim Wyman has released the final candidate list for Washington’s 2016 Presidential Primary, including four Republicans and two Democrats. Friday, March 18, was the deadline for the Secretary to make the declaration, confined by state law to those “generally advocated or whose candidacy is generally recognized in the national news media.” Since a preliminary list was released Feb. 24, Republicans Marco Rubio and Ben Carson have halted their campaigns. Under state law, only the candidates may remove…

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Wyman announces candidates for Presidential Primary

Wyman announces candidates for Presidential Primary

Secretary of State Kim Wyman has released the initial candidate list for Washington’s 2016 Presidential Primary, including five Republicans and two Democrats. Wednesday was the deadline for the Secretary to make the declaration, confined by state law to those “generally advocated or whose candidacy is generally recognized in the national news media.” The final list, updated with any withdrawals or candidates who qualify by submitting voter petitions, will be certified and provided to the counties by March 18. The initial…

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Secretary Wyman helps launch bipartisan voter project

Secretary Wyman helps launch bipartisan voter project

Secretary of State Kim Wyman has joined Starbucks and business and non-profit leaders and voter groups in helping launch a nationwide project to encourage employees to register, vote and engage themselves in their communities. The project is being organized by the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Wyman has been in conversation with Starbucks corporate leaders in Seattle about ways to enhance voter participation. The company is among the organizing sponsors. Marriott International, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and…

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Presidential caucuses/primary: `WA voters will have a voice’

Presidential caucuses/primary: `WA voters will have a voice’

  With the Iowa caucuses behind us, and the New Hampshire primary coming up Tuesday, you might be wondering how Washington’s presidential nomination process works — and with good reason! Rather than just a caucus or a primary, the Evergreen State will hold both, with each playing a different role in each party’s nomination process. So how will it all work? Our state’s May 24 presidential primary will operate much like a general election – with one big exception. Voters…

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Secretary Wyman certifies Citizens United I-735

Secretary Wyman certifies Citizens United I-735

Assistant Secretary of State Mark Neary signs documents certifying I-735 Wednesday. Secretary of State Kim Wyman has certified Initiative to the Legislature 735. The measure seeks to put Washington on record as favoring an amendment to the U.S. Constitution overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling. Wyman announced Tuesday that the state Elections Division has completed a random sample of the 333,040 signatures submitted by sponsors, confirming that there were sufficient signatures. The invalidation rate, including duplicates and signatures from people…

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Wyman certifies Initiative 732, sending it to Legislature

Wyman certifies Initiative 732, sending it to Legislature

Secretary of State Kim Wyman has certified Initiative to the Legislature 732, which deals with carbon taxes. It was a close call, though, despite sponsors turning in 363,126 signatures, nearly 120,000 more than the bare number of valid voter signatures required (246,372). That’s because an unusually high error rate was discovered when election crews checked a 3 percent random sample of 11,061 signatures.  The error rate was 27.59 percent, well above the historic average of 18 percent. That was due…

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Wyman touts voter pre-registration for 17-year-olds

Wyman touts voter pre-registration for 17-year-olds

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, the state’s chief elections official, is proposing voter pre-registration for 17-year-olds as part of high school history and civics classes and events coordinated by the 39 county election offices. The legislation, HB2707/SB6340, was introduced in both chambers Tuesday with bipartisan support. The prime sponsors are Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, and Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, with members from all four caucuses signing on. “We are excited at the prospect of expanding our outreach to young people…

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‘Raise Up Wa’ initiative would boost min-wage

‘Raise Up Wa’ initiative would boost min-wage

A citizen coalition has filed an initiative proposal to boost the state minimum wage to $13.50 over four years, and expand paid sick leave. A throng of supporters filed their “Raise Up Washington” initiative at the Office of Secretary of State on Monday, just two hours before the Legislature convened.  Backers will need 246,372 valid signatures of registered Washington voters by July 8 in order to qualify for the fall statewide ballot. The state Elections Division suggests bringing in at…

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