Washington Term Limits for Local Officials Initiative (2019)

Washington Term Limits for Local Officials
Election date November 5, 2019
Topic Term limits
Status Not on the ballot
Type State statute	Origin Citizens
List of Washington measuresWashington Initiative 976Washington Washington Referendum 88Washington Senate Joint Resolution 8200Washington Advisory Vote 20Washington Advisory Vote 21Washington Advisory Vote 22Washington Advisory Vote 23Washington Advisory Vote 24Washington Advisory Vote 25Washington Advisory Vote 26Washington Advisory Vote 27Washington Advisory Vote 28Washington Advisory Vote 29Washington Advisory Vote 30Washington Advisory Vote 31Submit

The Washington Term Limits for Local Officials Initiative (#1651) was not on the ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the People, a type of initiated state statute, on November 5, 2019.

This initiative was designed to enact term limits for local officials limiting service to two four-year terms for county officials, city mayors, and city council members.

Text of measure

Ballot title

Initiative 1651 ballot title
“ Initiative Measure No. 1651 concerns term limits for city and county elected officials. This measure would prohibit county councilmembers, county executives, city councilmembers, and mayors from serving for more than two four-year terms in the same position, including service before the measure’s effective date. Should this measure be enacted into law? ”

Ballot summary

Initiative 1651 ballot summary

“ This measure would prohibit county councilmembers, county executives, city councilmembers, and mayors from serving for more than two four-year terms in the same position. Service prior to the effective date of the measure counts as part of any official’s two terms, but any elected official currently serving a term beyond the two four-year limit may remain in office until the term is completed. Establishing residency in an alternate district does not circumvent the restrictions. ”

Full text

• The full text of the measure is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Washington

The state process

In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify a directly initiated state statute—called an Initiative to the People 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 direct initiatives cannot be made more than 10 months before the general election at which their proposal would be presented to voters. Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the general election.

The requirements to get an Initiative to the People certified for the 2019 ballot:

• Signatures: 259,622 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 5, 2019.

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 for 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

• Tim Eyman submitted the initiative on January 7, 2019. A ballot title and summary was issued for it on January 16, 2019.
• Signatures for the initiative were not submitted before the deadline on July 5, 2019.

See also

2019 measures

• 2019 ballot measures
• Term limits on the ballot
• 2019 petition deadlines

Washington

• Washington ballot measures
• Washington initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Initiative #1651 Full Text