Washington Secretary of State Announces Ballot Format for “Top Two” System

On April 16, the Washington Secretary of State’s office announced the details of how ballots will look in this year’s “top-two” primary and general elections. Under each candidate’s name will appear “Prefers (example) Party”. The candidate is free to choose any party name if it is 16 letters or fewer, and is not obscene. The 16-letter limit means that no one can choose “Socialist Workers” or “Democratic Republican”. The Secretary of State says the candidate must figure out an abbreviation if the party of “preference” is longer than 16 letters (a blank space between two words counts, just as though it were a separate letter) . Since Socialist Workers Party candidates have regularly appeared on the ballot with the full party name in many Washington state elections ever since 1948, it seems somewhat likely that the party could win a lawsuit over the 16-character limit. The limit wouldn’t be so strict, except that space is needed for the word “prefers”.

Thanks to Steve Rankin for this news. Here is a news story about the regulations.


Comments

Washington Secretary of State Announces Ballot Format for “Top Two” System — No Comments

  1. One more step on the road to the END of rule by party hacks.

    Will the party hacks attack the use of *Prefers* ??? — likely yes — of course — since they are party hacks.

    Can the Soc Work Party [13 letters and spaces] survive ?

  2. If this stands, and the indie and minor party candidates are forced to try to get to the general via competing in this top two system – if we had the old WA State third oparty access laws requiring a nominal amount of signatures, some might participate, but I can’t see them putting in the time to end up having to participate in this?

  3. We need to have as many third party and independent candidates as possible run for Washington state office, and Congress, this year in Washington state. That is to gather evidence as to how the system works. It would be a disaster if minor party and independent people just gave up and didn’t run for office this year; that would ruin any future lawsuit to be filed in 2009.

  4. How about

    Donkey Elephant

    or

    Elephant Donkey

    15 letters/space each

    At least there is an EQUAL requirement to get on the primary ballots — as in EQUAL protection of the laws – 14th Amdt, Sec. 1.

    How serious can an independent or third party candidate be if he/she is unable to take the time and effort to get on the primary ballots ?

    Remedy as usual — P.R. for legisative body elections.

    Total Votes / Total Seats = EQUAL votes needed for each seat winner.

    NO need for ANY primaries.

  5. Too difficult for *serious* richer/poorer minor party candidates and independents ???

    http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=29A.24.091
    ——–
    RCW 29A.24.091
    Declaration — Fees and petitions.

    A filing fee of one dollar shall accompany each declaration of candidacy for precinct committee officer; a filing fee of ten dollars shall accompany the declaration of candidacy for any office with a fixed annual salary of one thousand dollars or less; a filing fee equal to one percent of the annual salary of the office at the time of filing shall accompany the declaration of candidacy for any office with a fixed annual salary of more than one thousand dollars per annum. No filing fee need accompany a declaration of candidacy for any office for which compensation is on a per diem or per meeting attended basis.

    A candidate who lacks sufficient assets or income at the time of filing to pay the filing fee required by this section shall submit with his or her declaration of candidacy a filing fee petition. The petition shall contain not less than a number of signatures of registered voters equal to the number of dollars of the filing fee. The signatures shall be of voters registered to vote within the jurisdiction of the office for which the candidate is filing.

    When the candidacy is for:

    (1) A legislative or judicial office that includes territory from more than one county, the fee shall be paid to the secretary of state for equal division between the treasuries of the counties comprising the district.

    (2) A legislative or judicial office that includes territory from only one county:

    (a) The fee shall be paid to the county auditor if the candidate filed his or her declaration of candidacy with the county auditor;

    (b) The fee shall be paid to the secretary of state if the candidate filed his or her declaration of candidacy with the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall then promptly transmit the fee to the county auditor of the county in which the legislative or judicial office is located.

    (3) A city or town office, the fee shall be paid to the county auditor who shall transmit it to the city or town clerk for deposit in the city or town treasury.

    [2006 c 206 § 3; 2005 c 221 § 2; 2004 c 271 § 160.]

  6. Well, if they want to s[end the time, money and resources to petion to get on the ballot for thsi primary, I will vote for them, but I don’t think the GP in WA has it in it to get anyone on the ballot, the WA LP probably does.

    Demo Rep: Okay, if I was rich I would hire sig gathers. If I were poor, I would need the regular signatures, plus one for for every dollar required for the filing fee. That’s a lot of time and resources. For what?

    WA is screwed this year.

  7. “Democrats blasted the primary as limiting choice and harming minor parties. “Today, Sam Reed made it official that Washington state has outlawed minor parties. The Libertarian, Green, Independent and Progressive parties can sell their office furniture and computers because they will never again see their names on a meaningful ballot in our state. Dishonestly framed under the auspices of promoting choice, Sam Reed’s Top Two annihilates voters’ right to choose among a wide range of candidates and the ideas they represent,” said Dwight Pelz, state Democratic Party chairman.”

    I’m sorry for the long quote, but the idea of Pelz (who actively oppsed Nader in ’00, and has never had anything but trash taqlk abt minor portiess, to now be asserting hismself as a champion of their rights is a good laugh.

    Maybe many mnany people should run for WA Sec of State Sam Reed’s office? But, now to do so is 1,000 signatures and the fees (or sigs). Not so easy as it used to be. It used to be just 200 sigs for any state wide race, thanks to Sam Reed minor party ballot access is much tougher, compared to our recent past.

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