On August 31, the office of Washington’s Secretary of State said that Referendum-71 had at least 1,000 more valid signatures than were needed. UPDATE: the state court weighing the challenge to this petition will issue its ruling on Wednesday morning, Sep. 2. See this story. The Referendum was filed to block a law passed by the legislature, to let same-sex couples have the same legal rights that married couples have. The referendum petition campaign has created two different lawsuits. One, in federal court, is over whether the names of petition signers should be public. The other, in lower state court, questions whether certain signatures should have been disallowed.
Election officials continue to say “this is the way we always done it” yet you didn’t use the new registration databases until the 16th day of counting (8/21/09) when the rejection rate was approaching 12.43% and you didn’t use “master checkers” until the 6th of counting (8/07/09) after the rejection rate passed 12.43%.
Let’s go back and review.
8/06/09 – Rejection rate 13.54%
The next day “master checkers” came in for the first time to look at only the already rejected signatures.
8/07/09 – Rejection rate 11.63%
As a result of “master checkers” look at the already rejected signatures the rejection rate dropped from 13.54% to 11.63%. Then on Monday and Tuesday of the following week “junior checkers” and “master checkers” looked at the already rejected signature AGAIN. That’s FOUR looks at the rejected signatures with FOUR different numbers.
8/11/09 – Rejection rate 10.42%
After looking at the already rejected signatures for a third and fourth time the rejection rate dropped to 10.42%, the lowest level the rejection rate ever been. It is standard for the rejection rate to climb as the counting continues, obviously on 8/06/09 R-71 had no chance of making the ballot and was given three more shots by election officials to lower the rejection rate by only looking at the already rejected signatures three more times.
8/12/09 – Rejection rate 10.65%
8/13/09 – Rejection rate 10.68%
8/14/09 – Rejection rate 10.99%
8/17/09 – Rejection rate 11.03%
8/18/09 – Rejection rate 11.32%
8/19/09 – Rejection rate 11.67%
8/20/09 – Rejection rate 11.97%
From 8/12/09 to 8/20/09 the rejection rate climbed EVERY day. It became clear with a rejection rate heading over the needed amount and with 35.9% of signatures still to be looked at something had to be done. Magically the next day election officials “found” new registration databases. Election officials decide to look at all the already rejected signatures with the new databases over an extended period not the one through way they did on 8/07/009, 8/10/09, and 8/11/09. As a result over the next few days the percent of “registration not found” goes down from 10% on 8/20/09 to 9.38% on 8/28/09.
8/21/09 – Rejection rate 11.68%
Has anyone else noticed election officials decided to change procedures on Fridays (8/07/09 and 8/21/09) when people (like journalists) would leave work for the week and when it became clear this referendum wouldn’t make the ballot?
We really need your help NOW to preserve the domestic partnership law! Please DONATE to Washington Families Standing Together (WAFST.org) or sign up to volunteer. Ref. 71 will ask voters to reject or accept the domestic partnership law, so tell everyone you know to vote “APPROVED” on Ref. 71.
Yeah! I’m hopeful this Referendum gets past the often-liberal leaning court. We (the overwhelming majority) want to raise our families in a State that recognizes marriage as consisting of two parents, male & female, modeled after Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
No magic, Leonard. The state was using an old database, so newly registered voters were not being counted. They were using a database that was saved in June, but R-71 petitions were delivered July 25.
Jr. checkers are inexperienced college kids earning $11/hr for summer temporary help. Master checkers are experienced people who have been doing this for years.
Get your facts straight before you publish them.
Yeah! I’m hopeful this Referendum gets past the often-liberal leaning court. We (the overwhelming majority) want to raise our families in a State that recognizes marriage as consisting of two parents, male & female, modeled after Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
We must fight peacefully for our Traditional Values. We don’t just need freedom but Moral Freedom. The West is becoming and group of people who only care about sex, money and themselves. These are the signs of the destruction of Christian Civilization which is really the only real civilization. Abortion, euthinasia and gay marriage are evil and will only produce an evil consequences. We will sooner or later reap what we sow!We must stand against them for these things will destroy civilization as we know it and produce only moral corruption. America is not just about freedom to do evil but moral freedom. We must return to our Foundation which is CHRIST! If not then we must know that Islam knows what it believes and they are willing to fight for it.
Watch out for WAFST.org! It is NOT a family organization – at least not in the sense that is understood by normal sane adults. It is a pro-homo organization that is trying to redefine the family. Unfortunately they have resorted to misrepresenting what they stand for by hiding behind smiling family-ish photos and half-truths. Should be called WFG – Washington Fringe Group.
It never should come to the point in Our state- or nation that civil rights are to be placed on any balot and up for vote. That shows a lack of Equality, and provides lesser freedom and ability for some. However, marriage should be marriage. ( not protected) but, should offer specific laws as they stand, in that to bring rights to those.
It is sad however that people too often think that “Marriage” means kids- where as it does not.
The Marriage is not state santioned to begin with. That is a scriptural base not a state base.
However, since ref 71 ” the everything BUT MARRIAGE” law is in focus-, why not pass a law that says that inner racial couples cant be legally married in Washington? That is the same thing that ref 71 is doing.
Better yet, laws should be passed, that uphold civil rights for all of us, including but not limited to gay and lesbians.
Equality- fairness, hope and freedom.
SAME SEX MARRIGE WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED IN AMERICA AS SOMETHING PEOPLE RESPECT. YOU WILL NEVER GOTO A 50TH ANNIVERSERY OF A GAY COUPLE BECAUSE LUST DOES NOT LAST THAT LONG. LOVE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN ONLY.