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Washington Immigration Status Verification Initiative (2016)
| Washington Immigration Status Verification Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic Immigration | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Immigration Status Verification Initiative was an initiated state statute proposed for the Washington ballot on November 8, 2016.
The initiative would have required documentation of immigration status for employment and other public benefits.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | Initiative Measure No. 1537 concerns immigration and citizenship status.
This measure would require immigration status verification for employment, drivers’ license or identicard, and certain public benefits; citizenship verification for elections; and state and local compliance with federal requests for undocumented immigrant detention. Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ][2] |
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:[1]
| “ | This measure would require employers to electronically verify the identity and work authorization status of their employees. Employing undocumented immigrants would result in suspension of publicly issued licenses. Immigration status would be verified for drivers’ licenses, identicards, and certain public benefits. Citizenship would be verified for voter registration and candidacy for elections. State and local officials would be required to comply with federal requests regarding detention of an undocumented immigrant in state or local custody. [2] | ” |
Full text
The full text can be found here.
Path to the ballot
- Supporters filed the petition with the secretary of state on April 6, 2016.[1]
- 246,372 valid signatures are required for qualification purposes.
- Supporters had until July 8, 2016, to collect the required signatures.
- Signatures were not submitted by the July 8, 2016, deadline.[3]
State profile
| Demographic data for Washington | ||
|---|---|---|
| Washington | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 7,160,290 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 66,456 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 77.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 5.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 12% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 32.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,062 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 14.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Washington
Washington voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[4]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Washington
- United States congressional delegations from Washington
- Public policy in Washington
- Endorsers in Washington
- Washington fact checks
- More...
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Washington Secretary of State, "Proposed Initiatives to the Legislature - 2016," accessed May 12, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff phone interview with the Washington secretary of state's office on July 8, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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