An attempt to approve Senate Joint Resolution 101 — dubbed the “Silence the Voters Amendment” by critics — fell eight votes short on March 30th, 2023, which means the proposed constitutional change won’t be sent to Idaho voters.
Tag: Fair Elections
Posted inElections
NPI’s bill to scrap Tim Eyman’s push polls advances to the House Rules Committee
By a vote of 4–3, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed, the House State Government Committee gave Senate Bill 5082 a “do pass” recommendation, sending it up to the House Rules Committee for further consideration.
Posted inElections
State House hears NPI’s bill to make it easier to vote by ending Tim Eyman’s push polls
Sponsored by Senator Patty Kuderer (D‑48th District: Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland), Senate Bill 5082 would get rid of the push polls and replace them with truthful, useful information about the state’s finances, accessible from the official legislative website and the voter’s pamphlet via a QR code and URL.
Posted inElections
Idaho Republican legislators are once again trying to gut the people’s initiative power
The goal of SJR 101 is to stymie any future use of the people’s initiative power to let voters consider policies that go unconsidered in the state Legislature, which has been dominated by militant right wing Republicans for years.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
NPI’s legislation to allow cities and towns to switch their elections to even-numbered years gets a “do pass” recommendation
A proposed state law developed by NPI and Senator Javier Valdez (D‑46th District: Seattle) that would give cities and towns the freedom to switch their elections to even-numbered years passed out of the Senate State Government & Elections Committee on February 17th with a “do pass” recommendation, keeping the bill alive for further consideration.
Posted inElections
Senate State Government Committee hears NPI’s bill to give cities and towns the freedom to switch their elections to even years
Read our recap of the February 10th, 2023 public hearing on Senate Bill 5723, prime sponsored by Senator Javier Valdez at NPI’s request and cosponsored by half of the Senate Democratic caucus.
Posted inElections
VICTORY! Washington State Senate again passes bill to abolish Tim Eyman’s push polls
A Northwest Progressive Institute bill that would advance voting justice in Washington by getting rid of Tim Eyman’s “advisory votes” has sailed out of the Washington State Senate after receiving a bipartisan vote of support.
Posted inElections
Senator Javier Valdez, NPI propose legislation to let WA cities switch elections to even years
Imagine being able to as much as double the turnout for important local offices — and diversify it by an even greater magnitude — with just one structural change. That’s what even-year elections for local governments can do for us.
Posted inLitigation
Republicans fail in their attempt to intervene in signature verification legal challenge
The Republicans’ philosophy on litigation is never to spend one dollar when two (or more) will do. Judge Shaffer may have saved the party some money, needed until recently (when he announced his candidacy) to pay Trump’s legal bills.
Posted inElections
National, state Republicans file against voters in signature verification legal challenge
State and national Republicans are filing briefs in a lawsuit that seeks to end the error-filled signature verification process on Washington’s mail-in ballots. The suit they are intervening in alleges that thousands of valid votes get rejected and that rejections hit a disproportionate number of younger, Black, Latino/Latina and disabled voters.
Posted inElections
NPI to Legislature: Let’s make voting in WA easier by abolishing Eyman’s “advisory votes”
Read the written version of the testimony prepared by NPI’s founder and executive director in support of NPI’s 2023 bill to repeal Tim Eyman’s “advisory votes.”
Posted inElections
Lawsuit contends Washington’s signature-based ballot verification is unconstitutional
A lawsuit filed last week in King County Superior Court is challenging the “signature matching” process used by election officials across the Evergreen State that results in tens of thousands of Washington voters having their ballots rejected and being disenfranchised every election cycle.
Posted inElections
A majority of Washington voters support making General Election Day a federal holiday
In NPI’s October 2022 statewide poll, 56% of likely 2022 voters surveyed said they supported making General Election Day in even-numbered years a federal holiday, while 27% were opposed. 16% were not sure.
Posted inElections
Three signs that Republicans don’t believe their own hype about a looming red wave
Republicans speak confidently of victory this month, but their own actions belie that confidence. They’re definitely eager to win, but they’re also very fearful that they won’t, and we can see that insecurity in their behavior.