Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed plans to ask the legislature to revise Washington state procedures for ballot access for unqualified parties and independent candidates.

Currently, Washington state has a peculiar system that requires “conventions” of specified minimum numbers of voters in attendance, for independent candidates and the candidates of unqualified parties. These include 1,000 “attendees” for statewide office and down to 25 “attendees” for state legislature.

Since the state has always permitted outdoor “conventions”, in which anyone walking by who signs the roster is considered to be “attending”, this idea has long been rather silly. The Secretary of State proposes to give up the label “convention” and permit a straightforward petition. He proposes 1,000 signatures for statewide office, 500 for U.S. House, and 100 for state legislature and county office.

Unfortunately, he is also proposing to bring back the primary vote hurdle. Between 1978 and 2002, it wasn’t enough for independent candidates, and the candidates of unqualified parties, to show support at their own “conventions”. Such a showing of support only put them on the September primary ballot (except presidential candidates were exempt). Then they had to poll 1% in the September primary, as a condition of being on the November ballot. The September vote showing was held unconstitutional in 2004. A somewhat similar law was also struck down that year in Minnesota. Now Sam Reed proposes to bring it back, but with a smaller vote requirement (1,000 primary votes for statewide office, 500 for U.S. House, 100 for other partisan office).