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WA Electoral College: 8 votes for Clinton, 4 `faithless’ voters for others

WA Electoral College: 8 votes for Clinton, 4 `faithless’ voters for others

Members of Washington’s Electoral College cast their votes for President Monday at the Capitol. (Photo courtesy Brian Zylstra) Washington’s Electoral College made national news Monday when four “faithless” electors declined to vote for Hillary Clinton, who carried the state 54-38 over Donald Trump. Eight electors cast ballots for Secretary Clinton, three votes went to former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell and one elector voted for Faith Spotted Eagle, an activist opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. It was the first…

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WA Electors gathering at Capitol

WA Electors gathering at Capitol

The 32nd Washington Electoral College convenes at the state Capitol at high noon on Dec. 19, taking part in a time-honored ritual of awarding the state’s electoral votes for president and vice president. Amid speculation that several of the 12 delegates will choose to be “faithless” electors, the College will assemble in the ornate State Reception Room, hosted by Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Gov. Jay Inslee. The state went for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump and dozens of…

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Inslee signs bill boosting electors’ compensation

Inslee signs bill boosting electors’ compensation

Secretary Wyman stands with legislative intern Nate Hauger (middle) and Rep. Steve Bergquist outside the Governor’s Office prior to Gov. Inslee signing the  presidential electors’ compensation bill into law.   Gov. Jay Inslee has signed legislation raising the expense allowance for members of the state’s Electoral College, the party activists who cast the state’s electoral votes for the U.S. presidential ticket that wins the state popular vote. The rate had been unchanged since statehood. House Bill 1639 adjusts the travel,…

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Lawmakers boost compensation for WA electors

Lawmakers boost compensation for WA electors

For the first time since the horse-and-buggy days of statehood, Washington is boosting the expense allowance for members of the state’s Electoral College, the party activists who cast the state’s electoral votes for the U.S. presidential ticket that wins the state popular vote. The Senate gave strong bipartisan approval on Friday to a House-passed bill that was championed by Secretary of State Kim Wyman and shepherded through the long legislative process by office intern Nate Hauger from Central Washington University….

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Intern gets ‘up close & personal’ with how a bill becomes law

Intern gets ‘up close & personal’ with how a bill becomes law

Olympia interns are sometimes saddled with the mundane and routine, but Nate Hauger, legislative intern for Secretary of State Kim Wyman, got a rare front-row seat in seeing how a bill becomes law. Hauger, a junior political science major at Central Washington University, jumped at the opportunity to help research and draft a bill for Wyman and then help shepherd it through the long and winding legislative process. House Bill 1639 became the vehicle for the legislation. It would adjust…

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WA Electoral College: All 12 votes for Obama

WA Electoral College: All 12 votes for Obama

Reflecting the winner-take-all nature of the Electoral College system, Washington’s electors on Monday awarded all 12 of the state’s electoral votes to the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The event, convened by Secretary of State Sam Reed and Gov. Chris Gregoire, went off the clockwork.  The carefully scripted, time-honored process was much like the one taking place in all state capitals. As flags outside the Capitol stood at half-staff, electors gathered in the State Reception Room and…

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Electoral College changes? Not so fast …

Electoral College changes? Not so fast …

The ink is barely dry from Governor Gregoire signing into law a huge change in the state’s presidential voting, and a critic has already filed a referendum measure that would send the whole question to the statewide ballot in November. The new plan, Senate Bill 5599 , is for Washington to join a compact of states that commit themselves to casting their electoral votes for the White House ticket that wins the national popular vote. Right now, the state’s 11 electoral…

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WA joining effort for national popular vote for prez

WA joining effort for national popular vote for prez

Washington is about to join an intriguing reform compact that could change how we elect our president. Lawmakers have approved Senate Bill 5599 adding Washington to the list of states willing to cast its electoral votes for the ticket that wins the national popular vote. Currently, all 11 of Washington’s electoral votes are awarded winner-take-all to the ticket with the most votes in the state. Quick civics reminder: Although the popular vote is closely watched, the presidency is actually waged in a 50-state hunt for electoral…

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