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Category: Secretary of State Kim Wyman

`Who are We?’ contest ends Nov. 30

`Who are We?’ contest ends Nov. 30

Washington students in grade 6-12 have until the end of November to take part in a contest sponsored by our Legacy Washington program. Legacy Washington’s contest asks students to share who they are and who they hope to become. Contestants can submit entries in different formats, including writings, film projects or two-dimensional art. The contest ends Nov. 30. Go here to sign up and learn about contest rules and other details. The contest is in connection with Legacy Washington’s “Who…

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WA 2016 Election: The count goes on

WA 2016 Election: The count goes on

As Washington’s vote tally continues through the week, voters were re-electing most incumbents and siding with Hillary Clinton in her losing White House bid. Before Wednesday’s updates, more than 2 million votes had been counted, better than 48 percent of the record 4.24 million ballots that were sent out last month.  Counties reported receiving 2.7 million ballots by mail or drop box, a 63 percent return rate, as of Election Day, not counting evening drop box pickups. Heavy mail volumes…

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Remembering Sen. Andy Hill

Remembering Sen. Andy Hill

State Sen. Andy Hill gives a floor speech on the opening day of the 2015 legislative session. (Photo courtesy Washington State Archives) Washington’s legislative community and many others around the state were saddened by the news that state Sen.  Andy Hill died Monday after a reoccurring battle with lung cancer. Hill, R-Redmond, served the Eastside’s 45th Legislative District, winning the seat in 2010 and earning re-election in 2014. Hill, who worked at Microsoft before joining the Legislature, had been the…

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Student Mock Election is under way!

Student Mock Election is under way!

Washington voters have until Nov. 8 to vote their General Election ballots, but the state’s K-12 students this week have their own voting experience by taking part in the annual State Mock Election. Now in its 12th year, The Mock Election began Monday morning and ends this Friday at 1 p.m. It’s free and open to all Washington K-12 students who attend public, private or tribal school or are homeschooled. Sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State, the Mock…

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Washington celebrating Get out the Disability Vote Week

Washington celebrating Get out the Disability Vote Week

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Monday launched the state’s first Get out the Disability Vote Week to bring attention to accessible voting information and ballots to the disability community and encourage them to participate in the upcoming General Election and learn how a ballot is counted. The state also took note of National Disability Voter Registration Week July 11-15. Twelve county election departments are also participating in the event (Cowlitz, Island, Chelan, Jefferson, Kittitas, Thurston, Pierce, Franklin, Clark,…

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Last survivor of Watergate’s “Saturday Night Massacre” profiled

Last survivor of Watergate’s “Saturday Night Massacre” profiled

William Ruckelshaus with President Nixon. (Photo courtesy of Legacy Washington) Thursday marked the anniversary of a pivotal moment in one of the most shocking political scandals in American history. On Oct. 20, 1973, two key U.S. Justice Department officials resigned their positions rather carry out President Nixon’s order to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox. One of the Justice officials, William Ruckelshaus, is the subject of a compelling profile just launched by Secretary of State Kim Wyman’s Legacy Washington  team….

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`Watershed year’: WA voting season under way!

`Watershed year’: WA voting season under way!

Washington’s voting period for the 2016 Election is under way, with counties mailing about 4.2 million ballots and awaiting a robust turnout of at least 80 percent. A handful of counties sent ballots on Tuesday and nearly all the rest were scheduled to go out Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is the deadline for outbound mail. Deadline for a postmark is Election Day, Nov. 8, and drop boxes may be used before 8 p.m. that day. A record 4,250,526 Washington residents…

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Secretary Wyman: Charges of rigged US elections `irresponsible’

Secretary Wyman: Charges of rigged US elections `irresponsible’

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman released this statement Tuesday: In recent days, we have heard heated campaign rhetoric about American elections being “rigged” and somehow predetermined. This kind of baseless accusation is irresponsible and threatens to undermine voter confidence on this most basic foundation of democracy. As a 24-year election administrator at the state and local level, with close relationships with the national elections community, federal security experts and independent academics, I have full and complete confidence in our…

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WA voter reg sets a one-day record; total now tops 4.2m

WA voter reg sets a one-day record; total now tops 4.2m

Voter registrations in Washington hit a new one-day record on Monday, the deadline for online and mail-in registration. In that single day, 27,601 signed up online via the Secretary of State’s MyVote.wa.gov. That broke the previous record set just a day earlier, 23,167. Before that, the all-time one-day record was set last spring, 13,109, with help from Facebook prompts. The number of registered voters now stands at 4,207,379. It’s the first time we’ve exceeded 4.2 million. We celebrated our four…

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Reminder: Oct. 10 is WA voter-reg deadline

Reminder: Oct. 10 is WA voter-reg deadline

A reminder that Monday, Oct. 10, is the deadline for online and mail-in voter registration ahead of the General Election. Secretary Wyman and the state Elections Director Lori Augino said Tuesday that county election departments will also honor mail-in applications with an Oct. 11 postmark. The Oct. 10 deadline could have been a problem for some who are registering by mail, since that is a federal holiday and the post office will not process or postmark on that day or…

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