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Tag: state Elections Co-Director Katie Blinn

WA 2012 election is underway!

WA 2012 election is underway!

Washington’s long-awaited General Election is underway. Over 3.85 million registered voters are being mailed their ballots by their county elections office, starting Wednesday, and the official Voters’ Pamphlet already has arrived in most Washington homes. Voters are free to mark and return the ballots just as soon as they wish, Secretary of State Sam Reed noted today.  Postmark deadline is Nov. 6, although Reed strongly recommended that voters get their ballots in the mail several days ahead of that so…

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Libertarians seek to block GOP ticket from WA presidential vote

Libertarians seek to block GOP ticket from WA presidential vote

The Libertarian Party of Washington is asking Thurston County Superior Court to rule that  Republicans do not have major party status in the state, and that the Romney-Ryan ticket does not qualify for an automatic place on the state ballot this fall. The Libertarians assert that the only way for the GOP ticket to have earned a place on the Washington ballot is to have held a nominating convention within the state and collected at least 1,000 signatures of Washington…

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WA primary underway! Military & overseas ballots in mail

WA primary underway! Military & overseas ballots in mail

Over 50,000 ballots are making their way to Washington’s military and overseas voters, the vanguard for the state’s long-awaited August 7 Primary. Katie Blinn, co-director of Elections, has informed the U.S. Department of Justice that all military and overseas ballots went out by last Saturday, in compliance with the federal law that all such voters be sent their ballots at least 45 days before Election Day.  Some were sent by surface mail and others were emailed, depending on the voter’s…

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Here’s how signature check for R-74 works …

Here’s how signature check for R-74 works …

How does the signature check for a referendum work, and what is the impact of a referendum challenge on the effective date of the recently enacted legislation (SB6239) authorizing civil marriage for same-sex couples? The deadline for turning in Referendum 74 petitions to the State Elections Division is Wednesday, June 6.  Ordinarily, the marriage bill would be taking effect Thursday, June 7, but if opponents bring in signatures, the law doesn’t go into effect on schedule.  If a signature check…

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Centennial celebration: WA initiative process turns 100 in 2012

Centennial celebration: WA initiative process turns 100 in 2012

Secretary Reed draws a smile out of Tim Eyman Secretary of State Sam Reed and the Foley Institute at Washington State University teamed up Friday for a centennial celebration of Washington’s initiative process being approved by the voters. Panelists described the historic sweep of a hundred years of  “direct democracy” being used to pass some of the state’s landmark pieces of legislation — and talked about the growing expense of qualifying for the ballot, the rising role of well-heeled interests,…

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Federal appeals court hears challenge of Top 2 Primary

Federal appeals court hears challenge of Top 2 Primary

Washington’s political parties are back in federal appeals court, continuing their six-year  challenge of the state’s popular voter-approved Top 2 Primary. The Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties of Washington asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday to throw out the system, which allows voters to choose their favorite for each office, without respect to party, with the two favorites advancing to the November General Election ballot.  Neither party is guaranteed a November runoff slot, and the Top 2…

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U.S. high court declines to block R-71 petitions

U.S. high court declines to block R-71 petitions

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected efforts by foes of gay-marriage to block Washington state from releasing Referendum 71 petitions while an appeal is underway in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court gave no reasoning for denying the motion by Protect Marriage Washington to issue an injunction.  The order indicates that Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is responsible for motions arising from the 9th Circuit, referred the request to the full court, which did not support the motion. The…

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