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Tag: state Elections Division

Second gun initiative certified

Second gun initiative certified

  Boxes of Initiative 591 signatures were delivered to the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State in late November.  (UPDATE: Fixes number of signatures filed for I-591) Secretary of State Kim Wyman has officially certified Initiative 591 to go before the legislature this session. I-591 is the second gun-related measure before the legislature and would prohibit government agencies from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required. Sponsors of I-591 submitted 349,860…

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WA initiative season opens with Eyman & GMO labeling

WA initiative season opens with Eyman & GMO labeling

Washington’s second century of “direct democracy” has opened. Sponsors of two initiatives to the Legislature submitted boxloads of petitions Thursday in support of measures dealing with the initiative process itself and requiring labeling of genetically engineered foodstuffs. Sponsors of both measures submitted what they described as 340,000 or more signatures, and thus appear virtually assured of validation during the random sampling process that begins after the petitions are imaged for safekeeping and potential public records release by the State Archives….

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Initiative signature requirement re-set

Initiative signature requirement re-set

The task of qualifying an initiative or referendum for the Washington ballot just got a little harder. The state Constitution pegs the number of signatures required for an initiative at 8 percent of the most recent vote for governor. The requirement for a referendum — forcing a public vote on something the Legislature has passed, as in the recent R-74 on gay marriage — is 4 percent of the governor vote. In returns certified Wednesday, votes cast for governor this…

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Here’s your WA 2012 Election-at-a-glance

Here’s your WA 2012 Election-at-a-glance

Secretary of State Reed and the state Elections Division are producing scads of useful voter information, including a cool online Voters’ Guide and, in partnership with TVW, a Video Voters’ Guide  You always can find your custom-tailored voter guide by logging onto MyVote.  And in mid-October, you’ll have the official Voters’ Pamphlet (and possibly county-sponsored guides as well) arriving in your mailbox. And today, Reed and the Elections crew put out a handy-dandy one-pager Election-at-a-Glance for you.  Print it out,…

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Six minor-party tickets qualify for White House ballot in WA

Six minor-party tickets qualify for White House ballot in WA

Washingtonians will have no lack of variety this fall when it comes to their presidential choices. By state law, the Democrats’ Obama-Biden ticket and the Republicans’ Romney ticket will be given automatic ballot slots here after their conventions, and six additional minor-party tickets have been certified. The state Elections Division recently checked petition signatures submitted for six additional tickets and all qualified for the fall ballot.  Mail ballots will go out by Oct. 19 — earlier for military and overseas…

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Check out our new “I Voted” e-sticker!

Check out our new “I Voted” e-sticker!

Have you voted yet?   If your answer is yes, you should check out our Elections Division conception. They have created a cool “I voted” e-sticker for you to use on Facebook! The sticker is a simple green circle that tells people “I voted,” with those words prominently displayed in the picture.  You can use the e-sticker as your profile pic or post it to your wall to show your friends your democratic participation and support for civic engagement. “We…

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Eyman tax crackdown measure qualifies for ballot

Eyman tax crackdown measure qualifies for ballot

Initiative activist Tim Eyman has secured a spot on the statewide General Election ballot for Initiative 1185, a plan to re-establish a voter mandate for a two-thirds vote in both houses for any taxes passed in Olympia. Even as Secretary of State Sam Reed was signing the certification for I-1185, state Election Division workers were already at work on checking signatures for I-1240, a plan to authorize a limited number of publicly financed charter schools in Washington. That measure, also…

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WA gay-marriage foes virtually assured of making fall ballot

WA gay-marriage foes virtually assured of making fall ballot

UPDATE with additional signatures submitted: Preserve Marriage Washington, opponents of Washington’s new law authorizing civil marriage for same-sex couples, have submitted an estimated 242,000 petition signatures, virtually assuring a public vote this fall on whether to uphold or overturn the marriage measure, Senate Bill 6239. The action blocked the law from taking effect on Thursday. Sponsors submitted about 232,000 signatures Wednesday morning, the final day to submit petitions for a referendum. They brought in roughly 10,000 more later in the…

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Gregoire OKs gay marriage; ballot challenge launched

Gregoire OKs gay marriage; ballot challenge launched

Joseph Backholm pays the $5 filing fee as he files R-73 Monday afternoon. Feb. 14 UPDATE: The referendum number has been changed to R-74. Challengers of Washington’s newly signed gay-marriage bill have filed a referendum challenge.  Less than four hours after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law the bill authorizing civil marriage for same-sex couples, SB6239, Joseph Backholm of Preserve Marriage Washington filed Referendum 74 seeking to overturn the law. Backholm, who has the backing of a number of in-state…

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Marijuana Initiative 502 backers schedule signature turn-in

Marijuana Initiative 502 backers schedule signature turn-in

Sponsors of a marijuana initiative have made plans to bring in petitions on Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. at the state Elections Division office at 520 Union St. near the state Capitol in Olympia. UPDATE: The initiative sponsors are delivering the petitions at 2 p.m., not 10 a.m. Initiative to the Legislature 502 would authorize the state liquor control Board to regulate and tax marijuana for those 21 and older. Production, possession, delivery, distribution and sale of marijuana in accordance…

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