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Tag: referendum

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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R-71 sponsors renew bid to ban petition release

R-71 sponsors renew bid to ban petition release

UPDATE:  The Friday hearing referred to by anti-gay marriage activists will not occur. The judge has temporarily dismissed their motion to ban release of R-71 petitions, but they can re-file the request after the U.S. Supreme Court officially returns the case to the U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Original post, with the new timing information added: It’s back to court again, as foes of last year’s Referendum 71 renew a request that the petitions be sealed from public disclosure. Protect…

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R-71 sponsors plan Saturday signature turn-in

R-71 sponsors plan Saturday signature turn-in

Sponsors of Referendum 71, seeking a public vote this fall on the state’s new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership bill, plan to submit their petitions to the State Elections Division on Saturday afternoon. The organizers, Protect Marriage Washington, have made arrangements to bring in boxloads of voter signatures at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Secretary of State’s Office in the Capitol.  It takes 120,573 valid signatures to earn a place on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot.  Election officials suggest a…

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2 hours, 24 minutes, 47 seconds

2 hours, 24 minutes, 47 seconds

Way to go Heath! Our executive intern has come up with how long it takes to read the R-71 petition sheet:  2 hours, 24 minutes and 47 seconds. RECAP: 10:00: Heath begins reading, on the dot. 10:05: He hits a list of solid numbers. “I keep getting lost.” 10:12: “I started using the magnifying glass, but put it down because my arm got tired,” Heath says. 10:18: Heath’s face is about 5 inches away from the paper. 10:20: Done with the first…

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How long does it take to read the R-71 petition?

How long does it take to read the R-71 petition?

Everyone keeps assuming that no one will bother to take the time to read the 114-pages-of-legislation-jammed-onto-a-mapsized-sheet petition that is R-71 before offering up (or declining to give) their signature. But what if someone actually did want to read it? How long would it even take? Meet Heath. He is the OSOS executive intern and a seriously good sport: An aspiring lawyer, Heath describes himself as a “medium-to-fast” reader. Heath will begin reading the entire R-71 petition form as it appears to the public in…

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Re: R-71 petitions: Super-size it!

Re: R-71 petitions: Super-size it!

Remember those old references to the “bed sheet” ballot in crowded election years  gone by?  Sponsors of Referendum 71 can’t quite top that, but they are packing around petitions that are map-sized, nearly 2 feet  by 3 feet when they’re opened. A little-noticed provision of state law says that petitions for any referendum must print IN FULL every single word of the legislation being submitted to the voters for an up-or-down vote. In the case of Senate Bill 5688, the “everything but…

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R-71 petitions: Super-size it!

R-71 petitions: Super-size it!

One of the little-noticed requirements of a referendum measure is that the petitions have to include every single word of the state legislation that is being referred to the voters. In the case of the new domestic partnership “everything but marriage” law, Senate Bill 5688, that runs to 114 pages!  (The measure, which was about 2,400 pages in one early draft, amends many sections of state law and the bill has to list both the existing language and the changes the Legislature is making. )…

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Confused about referendum choice?

Confused about referendum choice?

If sponsors of a referendum on the new domestic partnership law get enough signatures on their petitions, you’ll decide the fate Referendum 71 this fall. ( FYI: R-71 sponsors soon will try to get enough voter signatures to place it on the November ballot. If they get 120,577 valid signatures by July 25, the law will be suspended until we see what the voters say.  If the referendum passes, meaning a majority of voters approve the new law, then it will take…

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UPDATE: Domestic partnership referendum

UPDATE: Domestic partnership referendum

Foes of the “everything-but-marriage” bill will have to wait until Governor Gregoire acts on the measure, Senate Bill 5688, next week to resume work on their ballot challenge. The Attorney General’s Office notified the Secretary of State’s Office today that they won’t issue the ballot title and summary “unless and until” the governor approves the bill “exactly as it passed the Legislature.”  Gregoire is expected to sign the bill in Seattle next Monday.  Referendum 71 was accepted by the state Elections…

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