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Washington Prohibit Candidate Appearance on Ballot if Under Investigation Initiative (2023)
| Washington Prohibit Candidate Appearance on Ballot if Under Investigation Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 7, 2023 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Washington Prohibit Candidate Appearance on Ballot if Under Investigation Initiative was not on the ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the Legislature, a type of indirect initiated state statute, on November 7, 2023.
This initiative was designed to prohibit a candidate's name from appearing on a ballot if the individual is under investigation or indictment for treason, sedition, or subversive activities.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for the initiative is below:[1]
| “ | Initiative Measure No. 1566 concerns elections.
This measure would prohibit a candidate’s name from appearing on a ballot if the candidate is under investigation, information, or indictment for acts which, if proven, would constitute treason, sedition, and subversive activities.
|
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for the initiative is below:[1]
| “ | This measure would provide that the name of a candidate for an office shall not appear on a ballot for that office if, at the time of filing a declaration of candidacy or at any point thereafter, the candidate is or becomes under investigation, information, or indictment for acts which, if proven, would constitute an offense under 18 U.S.C. chapter 115, relating to treason, sedition, and subversive activities. | ” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify an indirectly initiated state statute—called an Initiative to the Legislature in Washington—for the ballot is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Initial filings for indirect initiatives cannot be made more than 10 months before the regular session at which their proposal would be presented to lawmakers. Signatures must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the beginning of the legislative session in the year of the targeted election.
The requirements to get an Initiative to the Legislature certified for the 2023 ballot:
- Signatures: 324,516 valid signatures
- Deadline: December 30, 2022
The secretary of state verifies the signatures using a random sample method. If the sample indicates that the measure has sufficient signatures, the measure is certified to appear before the legislature. If the legislature does not approve the measure, it is certified to appear on the ballot. However, if the sample indicates that the measure has insufficient signatures, every signature is checked. Under Washington law, a random sample result may not invalidate a petition.
Details about this initiative
- Roberta Fontenot filed the initiative.[1]
- Signatures for the initiative were not submitted before the deadline.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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