Washington Advisory Vote 21, Nonbinding Question on Extending Tax and Surcharge on Timber Products (2019)
| Washington Advisory Vote 21 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2019 | |
| Topic Taxes | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type Advisory question | |
Washington Advisory Vote 21, a non-binding question concerning whether to maintain or repeal House Bill 1324, was on the ballot in Washington as an advisory question on November 5, 2019. A majority of voters voted in favor of repealing the bill.
| A maintain vote supported advising the legislature to maintain House Bill 1324, which was designed to extend a surcharge on timber products through July 2045 that was otherwise set to expire in June 2024. |
| A repeal vote supported advising the legislature to repeal House Bill 1324, which was designed to extend a surcharge on timber products through July 2045 that was otherwise set to expire in June 2024. |
Election results
- In the chart below, "yes" votes correspond to votes for maintaining the revenue-generating bill, and "no" votes correspond to votes for repealing it.
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Washington Advisory Vote 21 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 763,429 | 41.10% | ||
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1,094,028 | 58.90% | ||
-
- Results are officially certified.
- Source
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for the measure was as follows:[1]
| “ |
The legislature extended, without a vote of the people, the business and occupation tax for extracting, manufacturing, and selling timber and timber-related products, costing $21,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be: [] Repealed [] Maintained[2] |
” |
Ten-year cost projection
According to the 2019 Washington Voters' Guide, the 10-year cost projection of House Bill 1324, which Advisory Vote 21 concerned, was projected to be $20,600,000.[1]
Full text
The full text of House Bill 1324 is available here.
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2019
| Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The Washington Attorney General wrote the ballot language for this measure.
|
Campaign finance
| Total campaign contributions: | |
| Support: | $0.00 |
| Opposition: | $0.00 |
Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in support of or in opposition to the measure.
If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this measure, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Advisory votes
- See also: Advisory question
An advisory question is a type of ballot measure in which citizens vote on a non-binding question. The largest difference between an advisory vote and any other type of ballot measure is that the outcome of the ballot question will not result in a new, changed or rejected law or constitutional amendment. Rather, the advisory question symbolically makes heard the general opinion of the voting population in regard to the issue at hand. In the case of Washington, advisory votes serve to advise the legislature whether or not to maintain or repeal a bill they passed.
History of advisory votes in Washington
Initiative 960, which was sponsored by Tim Eyman and approved by voters in 2007, requires statewide advisory questions whenever the legislature passes a bill that increases tax revenue.
Thirty-eight (38) advisory votes required by Initiative 960 have been on the statewide ballot in Washington from 2012 through 2021. A majority of voters were in favor of maintaining 10 of the tax increases. In the other 28 cases, a majority of voters were in favor of repealing the tax increases in question.
| Washington tax advisory votes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Measure | Topic | Maintain vote % | Repeal vote % | ||
| 2021 | Advisory Vote 38 | Tax on the premiums of captive insurers | 42.85% | 57.15% | ||
| 2021 | Advisory Vote 37 | Tax on capital gains above $250,000 to fund education and child services | 38.95% | 61.05% | ||
| 2021 | Advisory Vote 36 | Telephone tax to fund behavioral health and suicide prevention services | 46.11% | 53.89% | ||
| 2020 | Advisory Vote 35 | Business and occupation tax on commercial airplane manufacturers | 45.53% | 54.47% | ||
| 2020 | Advisory Vote 34 | Business and occupation tax and surcharge | 37.99% | 62.01% | ||
| 2020 | Advisory Vote 33 | Heavy equipment rental tax | 40.40% | 59.60% | ||
| 2020 | Advisory Vote 32 | Carryout bag tax | 38.77% | 61.23% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 31 | International investment management services tax | 56.75% | 43.25% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 30 | Tour operator/travel agent tax | 44.19% | 55.81% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 29 | Excise tax on real property | 35.20% | 64.80% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 28 | Nonresident sales tax exemption limits | 55.29% | 44.71% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 27 | Petroleum products tax | 39.22% | 60.78% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 26 | Online retail sales tax | 44.77% | 55.23% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 25 | Financial institution tax | 44.62% | 55.38% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 24 | Business activities tax | 37.35% | 62.65% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 23 | E-cig/vaping tax | 66.91%% | 33.09% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 22 | Paint tax | 37.97% | 62.03% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 21 | Surcharge on timber products | 41.10% | 58.90% | ||
| 2019 | Advisory Vote 20 | Tax on wages | 37.08% | 62.92% | ||
| 2018 | Advisory Vote 19 | Crude oil tax | 46.47% | 53.53% | ||
| 2017 | Advisory Vote 18 | State property tax | 40.95% | 59.05% | ||
| 2017 | Advisory Vote 17 | Business and occupation tax | 37.66% | 62.34% | ||
| 2017 | Advisory Vote 16 | Commercial fishing fees | 45.59% | 54.41% | ||
| 2016 | Advisory Vote 15 | Alternative fuel tax excemption | 40.10% | 59.90% | ||
| 2016 | Advisory Vote 14 | Dental plan tax | 30.86% | 69.14% | ||
| 2015 | Advisory Vote 13 | Manufacturer tax preferences | 36.59% | 63.41% | ||
| 2015 | Advisory Vote 12 | Gas tax increase | 35.63% | 64.37% | ||
| 2015 | Advisory Vote 11 | Medical marijuana fee | 58.73% | 41.27% | ||
| 2015 | Advisory Vote 10 | Oil spill prevention tax | 51.32% | 48.68% | ||
| 2014 | Advisory Vote 9 | Leasehold excise tax | 55.27% | 44.73% | ||
| 2014 | Advisory Vote 8 | Agricultural tax on marijuana | 54.41% | 45.59% | ||
| 2013 | Advisory Vote 7 | Estate tax | 51.23% | 48.77% | ||
| 2013 | Advisory Vote 6 | Retaill sales tax exemption | 47.74% | 52.26% | ||
| 2013 | Advisory Vote 5 | Insurance premium tax | 39.52% | 60.48% | ||
| 2013 | Advisory Vote 4 | Aircraft excise tax | 53.54% | 46.46% | ||
| 2013 | Advisory Vote 3 | Leasehold excise tax | 52.47% | 47.53% | ||
| 2012 | Advisory Vote 2 | Pollution liability insurance | 45.00% | 55.00% | ||
| 2012 | Advisory Vote 1 | Omnibus tax preference | 43.10% | 56.90% | ||
Path to the ballot
The measure was automatically referred to the ballot as required under Initiative 960, an initiative that was passed in 2007. I-960 requires an advisory vote to be referred to voters concerning any law passed by the legislature that creates or increases taxes or fees.[3]
Advisory Vote 21 was a nonbinding question advising the legislature to either maintain or repeal House Bill 1324, which was passed in the 2019 legislative session.[1]
House Bill 1324
The vote in the legislature on House Bill 1324 was as follows:
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Washington
Poll times
Washington is an all-mail voting state. Individuals who prefer to vote in person rather than by mail may do so at local voting centers, which are open for 18 days before the election. The voting period ends at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Contact your county elections department for more information on voting center locations and times.[4]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Washington, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years of age.[5] A person must also not be disqualified from voting due to a court order or imprisoned for a felony conviction in Washington, federal prison, or another state. Individuals who are 16 years or older can pre-register to vote.[5]
A person may register to vote online, by mail, or in person at a county elections department or voting center. Registration must be completed eight days in advance if done by mail or online.[6] In-person registration is available through 8 p.m. on Election Day.[7]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
Washington automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, health benefit exchange, and other state agencies approved by the governor.[8][9] After the person's information is processed they will receive a confirmation in the mail from the county elections office.[9]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Washington has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Washington allows same-day voter registration.[8][10]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Washington, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[5]
On November 7, 2023, the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington challenging a provision in the state constitution that requires voters to live in the state for at least 30 days before Election Day. In March 2024, a federal judge approved a consent decree, with the state of Washington agreeing not to enforce the provision.[11]
Verification of citizenship
Washington does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly provides false information or knowingly makes a false declaration about their qualifications "will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, or both."[12]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[13] Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Three states, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means.[14] One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site Vote WA, run by the Washington Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Washington is an all-mail voting state and does not require voters to present photo identification (ID). Voters may choose to vote in person at a local voting center. According to state law, “The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification.”[15]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of March 2026. Click here for the Washington State Legislature's voter ID regulations to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ | The identification must be valid photo identification, such as a driver's license, state identification card, student identification card, tribal identification card, or employer identification card. A tribal identification card is not required to include a residential address or an expiration date to be considered valid under this section. Any individual who desires to vote in person but cannot provide identification shall be issued a provisional ballot, which shall be accepted if the signature on the declaration matches the signature on the voter's registration record.[2] | ” |
See also
External links
- Advisory Vote 21, House Bill 1324 Full Text
- 2019 Advisory Votes
- Washington 2019 General Election Voters' Guide
- Washington 2019 General Election Voters' Guide (PDF version)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Washington Secretary of State, "2019 general election voters' guide," accessed September 23, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Washington Office of Financial Management, "Tax & fee proposals (I-960)," accessed September 20, 2019
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail,” accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Washington Secretary of State, "Voter Eligibility," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Register to Vote in Washington," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Wash. Rev. Code § 29A.08.140," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Hill, "Wash. gov signs universal voter registration law," March 20, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Washington Secretary of State, "Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Same-Day Registration," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ My Edmonds News, "30-day residency requirement for WA voter registration struck down," July 16, 2024
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Washington State Voter Registration Form," accessed March 31, 2026
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Florida's law takes effect on January 1, 2027
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Wash. Rev. Code § 29A.40.160," accessed March 31, 2026
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