Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Washington
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Citizens of Washington can use the initiative process to:
- Directly enact a new state law. In Washington, this is known as an Initiative to the People.
- Indirectly propose a new state law. This is known as an Initiative to the Legislature.
- Through veto referendum, nullify a law enacted by the Washington State Legislature.
A fourth way, not involving direct democracy, that a ballot measure can be placed on the statewide ballot in Washington is through the process of legislative referral. These are known as Referendum Bills. They are proposed laws or constitutional amendments that the legislature chooses to place before the voters on the ballot.
Washington voters are not permitted the right to initiate constitutional amendments through a direct democracy process.
How to begin the process
In order to file an initiative in Washington, the sponsor must file typewritten or printed copy in complete text form of the proposed initiative or referendum with the secretary of state. Your filing must also include a signed affidavit of sponsorship verifying that the sponsor of the initiative is a legal voter of the state. Their is a $5 filing fee. Once the initiative is filed and a ballot title has been granted, sponsors can begin to collect signatures.
Deadlines
Initiative to the People must be filed in the ten-month period prior to the state general election ballot on which you wish the measure to appear. Petitions (signatures) must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than 5 pm on the last business day not less than four months prior to that general election. (For 2008, that date is July 3rd.) If a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, the office of the Secretary of State will be transact business on that Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Initiative to the Legislature must be filed in the ten-month period prior to the regular session of the Legislature in which you wish them to be considered. (For 2008, this period begins March 12th.) Petitions must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than 5 pm on the last business day not less than ten days prior to that regular legislative session convening. If a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, the office of the Secretary of State will be transact business on that Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm.
Referendum Measures may be filed any time after the Governor has signed the act that the sponsor wants referred to the ballot. Petitions must be filed with the Secretary of State not later than ninety days after final adjournment of the session in which the measure was passed by the state legislature. (The current legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on March 13, 2008.)
Single Subject Jurisdiction
Washington has a single-subject rule, which requires that an initiative deal with only one issue or subject.
Signatures
The number of signatures that need to be collected is based on the total number of votes cast for the Governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Eight percent (8%) of that vote total is required for initiatives and four percent (4%) for referenda. For 2008, 224,880 signatures are required for initiatives. Half that number (112,440 signatures) is required for referenda.
Circulation Period
The circulation period for Initiative to the People petitions is six months.
The circulation period for Initiative to the Legislature petitions is ten months.
Residency
Circulators do not have to be residents of the state of Washington.[1]
Paid Circulators
LIMIT v. Maleng decided that it was not only unconstitutional to ban the payment of petition circulators, but also to regulate how the petitioners are paid.[2]
Distribution Requirement
Washington has no distribution requirement for signatures.
Signature Verification Process
Washington's signature verification involves random sampling.
Initiative and Referendum Law
- Laws governing the initiative process in Washington
- Campaign finance requirements for Washington ballot measures
- Washington Initiative and Referendum Constitution and Statutes
- Initiative and Referendum by the State of Washington
- FAQ on Circulating Initiative and Referendum Petitions in Washington
References
- ↑ Washington State's Filing Initiative and Referenda Manual: 2005-2008
- ↑ Minnesota House of Representative, I&R Legislation
External links
Initiative and Referenda Rules and Regulations by Washington State
Brief of Petition Process in Washington
