The LWVSC has a lot going on this summer. Our Voter Services work continues, creating and distributing widely in the community basic information about where, when, and how to vote; and holding candidate forums.
We are particularly focused on “Get Out the Vote” as over 89% of citizens eligible to vote in Snohomish County are already registered. But turnout and voting the entire ballot is still disappointing. We are trying to prepare and encourage complete voting.
First, we are asking registered voters if they plan to vote and whether they have checked their registration. Next, we give them the latest advice from the Auditor’s office about how to make their vote count.
To return your ballot, do either of the following:
- Deposit your ballot in a ballot box before 8:00 P.M. on Election Day.
- Mail your ballot early. The Auditor’s office recommends at least a week before the election. Important: If you are mailing closer to the date of the election, go into the post office and ask the postal worker to postmark it in front of you.
The reason for all this care is that the post office has changed their postmarking procedure, and if you drop your ballot in a mailbox, it may not be postmarked on the day of the election. Also there is a current court case that may change the rules about whether ballots that arrive after the election day will be counted. In the past, postmarks happened the day of mail pick up, and Washington laws allowed any ballot postmarked on election day to be counted as long as it arrived before the election was certified. Courts usually give a time period before new rules have to take effect. However, with the recent Louisiana v. Callais (Voting Rights Act) decision, the Supreme Court made the new rules effective immediately and some jurisdictions have moved with such haste that they have stopped elections where many votes had already been cast.
Make sure your vote counts. Return your ballot on time, with your signature and with the postmark, or drop it on a ballot box.
Then there is education. Early primary voting starts in July - And there are really important races on the ballot.
- SUPREME COURT: Washington state will be electing five of the nine State Supreme Court justices this year. This almost never happens. The system is set up so that only a minority of justices are up for election at one time. However, two of the serving justices were recently appointed and must stand for election in the next general election. Those two positions, along with three other positions whose terms are expiring will be on the ballot. There will be justices on the ballot in both the primary and general elections and a chance for significant change in the make-up of the State Supreme Court. The State Supreme Court interprets the Washington State Constitution, which has more enumerated rights than the national Constitution. For example, Article 1 - Declaration of Rights - has 35 sections compared to the US Constitution with a 10-item Bill of Rights. Additionally, the State Supreme Court interprets the Washington Code, which includes items such as the Reproductive Privacy Act, approved by a vote of the people in 1991. At a time when the federal Voting Rights Act has been essentially rendered impotent, our State Voting Rights Act will be more important than ever. What that act means will be up to the Washington State Supreme Court.
- INITIATIVES: LWVWA has taken a stance against both of these initiatives and they are developing talking points for members.
- IL26-001 Concerning Parental Rights.
- IL26-628 Concerning Participation in Girl’s Sports.
- POSSIBLE INITIATIVES: Signatures are being gathered that would place two initiatives on the November ballot if enough signatures are gathered by July 2.
- IL26 - 500: This initiative mirrors the national SAVE act that would require IDs for voting and will make it more difficult for people to vote. The LWVWA has a DECLINE to SIGN campaign on this initiative.
- IP26 - 645: This initiative will overturn the recently passed “Millionaire’s Tax” that passed in the last legislative session. LWVWA supported the legislation, creating this tax as a method to create a more equitable tax structure.
- SNOHOMISH COUNTY CHARTER: The governing document of county government was reviewed, and proposed changes were considered by the Charter Review Commission of 15 commissioners elected last fall. The Charter Review Commission handed in final proposals for the ballot to the County Council at the end of May. The LWVSC monitored the Commission meetings, and the membership adopted a Statement of Concern at the annual meeting that was presented to the Commission at the May 20th meeting and has been sent to the County Council. See the article on Charter Review Commission.
Be an educated voter and share your knowledge. About two-thirds of voters do not vote on down ballot issues or judicial candidates because they don’t know anything about them. The information you share may be what your friends, neighbors, and family need to vote.