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Category: The Courts

Lawmakers OK General Election for judges, SPI Top 2

Lawmakers OK General Election for judges, SPI Top 2

The Legislature has sent Gov. Jay Inslee a Top 2 elections bill that requires the two primary favorites for each race for Supreme Court, Appeals Court, Superior Court and  state school superintendent to advance to the General Election ballot. Currently it is possible for judges and SPI to prevail in the primary by getting more than 50 percent, with the victor going alone to the General Election ballot. This happened last fall in some judicial races and in Randy Dorn’s…

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High court overturns supermajority for taxes

High court overturns supermajority for taxes

The Washington Supreme Court, in a bombshell decision handed down just days before Gov. Jay Inslee and lawmakers tackle a multibillion-dollar budget gap, invalidated a popular voter-approved requirement of a two-thirds supermajority for taxes raised in Olympia. The court, in a decisive 6-3 ruling, said the state Constitution clearly says a bill becomes a law by gaining a majority in each house. The justices noted that this is the first time the court directly answers the question of whether the…

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December Archives treasure #1: First Territorial Supreme Court case

December Archives treasure #1: First Territorial Supreme Court case

Going back, back, back to our territorial days, Washington’s Supreme Court has heard hundreds of cases. So what was the first case ever heard by the Washington territorial high court? It was George Palmer v. United States, filed Dec. 14, 1854. The case involved the conviction of Palmer, who was charged with “selling and giving spirituous liquor to an Indian.”  He was sentenced to pay a fine of $500 to the feds and spend three months in the County Jail….

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Secretary Reed: YOUR vote is your voice

Secretary Reed: YOUR vote is your voice

Secretary of State Sam Reed is urging voters to take part in “one of the most significant and interesting elections in modern times.”  He said enthusiasm is “sky-high” in Washington, which regularly enjoys one of the best voter participation rates in the country. Reed noted that more than 8 out of 10 voters are expected to cast ballots, with some counties forecasting turnout even higher than the 81 percent he has predicted statewide.  He said he would be delighted, of…

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Secretary Reed’s `robust’ turnout prediction? 81 percent

Secretary Reed’s `robust’ turnout prediction? 81 percent

Secretary of State Sam Reed, Washington’s chief elections official, is predicting a robust voter turnout of 81 percent in the General Election that is currently underway. Reed figures that Washington voters will be attracted by highly competitive races for president and governor, hot races for Legislature and Congress, and some of the most compelling ballot measures in the country. Washington has nearly 3.9 million registered voters – an all-time high – and more are expected to be added, since new…

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Archives treasure #3: State Supreme Court files, 1854-1998

Archives treasure #3: State Supreme Court files, 1854-1998

(The State Supreme Court in 1968.  Photo courtesy of the State Archives’ Susan Parish Collection.) As the repository for Washington’s governmental records and documents, the State Archives has files going waaay back. In the case of the Washington Supreme Court, all the way back to 1854, when we were just a fledgling territory after splitting from Oregon Territory. The State Archives has more than 4,100 cubic feet of records that document the opinions and decisions of every case decided by…

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Judge: Voters’ Pamphlet language on I-1185 can stay

Judge: Voters’ Pamphlet language on I-1185 can stay

No changes will need to be made to the Initiative 1185 language in the upcoming state Voters’ Pamphlet for this fall’s General Election after a judge Friday morning dismissed a lawsuit brought by I-1185 sponsor Tim Eyman. Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon denied Eyman’s challenge to the Office of Financial Management’s fiscal impact statement on I-1185 and his attempt to prohibit the Office of Secretary of State from publishing it in the Voters’ Pamphlet.  Judge Dixon denied Eyman’s…

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WA voters can get quick election results on iPhone and Android

WA voters can get quick election results on iPhone and Android

Want to check out election results on the go? This year you will be able to view them wherever you are with our office’s free Elections Results apps for iPhone and Android phones.  These apps provide current vote totals for state, federal, legislative, and judicial offices, giving users a convenient way to stay up to date on their favorite races. County elections departments begin tabulating ballots that have been received and processed shortly after close at 8 p.m. and within minutes you…

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`The race is on’: WA primaries next up

`The race is on’: WA primaries next up

Washington’s campaign season is officially underway, with hundreds of candidates signed up for 364 offices, from the U.S. Senate and statewide offices to key races that will determine control of the state Legislature and the future of 10 congressional districts. Secretary of State Sam Reed said he was pleased with the remarkable rush of interest in state and local office, given the difficult problems facing Washington state and the sometimes harsh nature of modern campaigning and the unpredictable influence of…

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And they’re off and running!

And they’re off and running!

Washington’s campaign season is officially under way. Filing Week opened with a bang Monday with hundreds of candidates statewide filing for office.  There are 344 state offices open this year, along with potentially thousands of party precinct committee officer slots. Besides the presidential election and a U.S. Senate race, the state has an unusually rich assortment of open offices this year that are sure to attract heavy attention this week, says Secretary of State Sam Reed.  Reed himself is an…

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