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Tag: voting

Eyman initiative and R-71: How we voted

Eyman initiative and R-71: How we voted

There’s no suspense – Washington voters last month approved Referendum 71 upholding the state’s new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law, and trounced Tim Eyman’s latest ballot measure, Initiative 1033 dealing with revenue limits and property tax relief.  The statewide and county-by-county numbers have been posted since election night. But how did your congressional district and your legislative district come down on these two hot-button issues?  The 2009 General Election abstract released Friday provides those answers. We see, for instance,…

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Washington’s road to women’s suffrage: 1854

Washington’s road to women’s suffrage: 1854

Next year will mark the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage in Washington … something definitely worth celebrating. Leading up to the centennial, which is November 2010, we are sharing some tidbits about the fight for women’s right to vote in Washington, and how it was finally won. In 1854, Arthur Denny proposed an amendment to the first territorial election law that would give women the vote. It was defeated in the Territorial House of Representatives by one vote, eight for and nine…

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Oregonians also planning suffrage centennial

Oregonians also planning suffrage centennial

Word filters north of the Oregon-Washington border that Oregonians, too, are busy organizing a big celebration for their state’s centennial of women gaining the right to vote.  (Hey, no smarty-mouth comments from chauvinists out there!). As faithful readers of From Our Corner know, Washington already is into the centennial, since our Legislature approved  suffrage in 19-aught-nine and the male voters approved it in November of 1910.  Washington’s celebration is led by the Women’s History Consortium, the Washington State Historical Society…

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Mail-in, Part II: Gov calls for speedier counts

Mail-in, Part II: Gov calls for speedier counts

Gov. Chris Gregoire, backed by House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, is urging lawmakers to assist counties in producing a faster count of election returns. That could mean requiring that ballots be in hand by the local elections office by Election Day in order to be counted. Secretary of State Sam Reed has made that suggestion for the past two years, but the  legislation has generated little interest in Olympia.  On Monday, as the state’s largest city, Seattle, still awaits a…

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Vote-by-mail: Just about all of us …

Vote-by-mail: Just about all of us …

Based on preliminary numbers from Washington’s 39 county elections offices, it looks like about 99 percent of  us voted by mail in the November election.  That’s about as close as you can get to all vote-by-mail as long as Pierce County continues to allow poll-site voting. Under Washington law, the shift from poll-site voting has been swift. First, voters were allowed to sign up for no-excuse “permanent absentee” status, meaning they were automatically sent ballots every election. Tons of people…

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The voters speak … and keep speaking

The voters speak … and keep speaking

After an “Election Day” that spanned nearly three weeks, the process of tallying the final vote will take still more time. As of this morning, ballots of 28.5 percent of the state’s 3.58 million registered voters have been counted.  That’s over a million ballots.  Tons more are being processed as we speak, and many more are still “in the mail,” since state law only requires that ballots be postmarked by Nov. 3. How many people will have voted by the…

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How domestic crime victims can vote safely

How domestic crime victims can vote safely

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we’re reminded that some victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking or stalking decide not to register to vote out of fear their perpetrator will track them down through voter registration records.  The Office of Secretary of State can help. We have a program that allows  victims to register to vote without their addresses being found. The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) works with community domestic violence and sexual assault  programs in an effort to keep…

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Candidate Filing Week: And they’re off!

Candidate Filing Week: And they’re off!

Washington’s 2009 candidates are making it official. It’s Filing Week and so far, a lot of candidates have taken advantage of the option to file online. As of close of business Monday, nearly 700 candidates filed through the Washington Election Information (WEI) system used by the Secretary of State’s Elections Division and 31 of Washington’s 39 counties. There was a rush of activity in the morning, then a lull during lunch, followed by a steady flow from about 1 p.m….

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WA green-lights voting rights for ex-cons

WA green-lights voting rights for ex-cons

The Legislature has sent Governor Gregoire a measure allowing ex-convicts to get their voting rights restored once they’ve served their prison terms and community supervision. The bill cleared its final hurdle Wednesday when the House agreed with a Senate amendment. The governor is expected to sign it in a few weeks. The bill was prime-sponsored by Representative Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, a longtime advocate of the change. The comparable Senate bill was backed by Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle.  Secretary of State Reed and a number…

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Voting bills closer to finish line

Voting bills closer to finish line

It has been a long time coming, but it looks like this is the year that lawmakers pass a voting restoration bill for ex-cons who have completed their sentences and their community supervision. The original House-approved bill, HB1517, says ex-felons could apply for voting rights after completing their jail sentences and any parole. Currently, they have to also pay off all restitution, court costs, and any other legal financial obligations. The Senate today voted 29-19 for an amended bill that allows…

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