News
Governor
Green Party
continued from page 1
cent of those asked said they would vote
yes, compared to 40.8 percent who would
vote no. Among likely voters, support drops
slightly to 47.1 percent.
Among the ballot measures, the poll
showed the strongest support for Initiative
1185, which asks voters to renew the
restriction of a two-thirds legislative major-
ity on any new tax. Support for the measure
was at 53.6 percent, compared to 31.2 per-
cent who oppose it. Among likely voters,
support increases to 54.1 percent and oppo-
sition drops to 30.9 percent.
Charter schools was the only
ballot measure that didn’t get
more than 50 percent among
either group, with 47.5 percent
of voters saying they would
vote to support Initiative 1240,
compared to the 39.2 percent
who are opposed. Among the
likely voter group, support
increased a bit to 48.8 percent,
compared to 40.1 percent
opposed. I-1240 would create a
public charter school system in
Washington. It is opposed by
the Washington Education
Association, the state’s largest teacher’s
union.
The poll also showed support for Presi-
dent Barack Obama in Washington state,
with 51.8 percent saying they will vote for
him, compared to 41.3 percent who said
they will vote for Republican Mitt Romney.
That number didn’t change much among the
likely voter group, with Obama holding a
51.9 percent to 42.9 percent advantage. U.S.
Maria Cantwell also leads her Republican
challenger, state Sen. Michael Baumgartner,
58.3 percent to 34.8 percent. Among likely
voters, her support drops slightly, to 57.7
percent, compared to 35.4 percent for
Baumgartner.
Barreto said that another poll will be
released on Nov. 1, just days before the
election. Counties started sending ballots to
voters on Wednesday.
``Now that ballots are going out, this
marks the frenzied, mad dash of the cam-
paign,’’ he said.
ests that often lobby against tax breaks from
being closed.
Eyman said he’ll continue to put the two-
thirds restriction up for a vote because he
sees Democrats in Olympia as too eager to
for Olympia to ignore it, that’s why we
advocate for voting on it over and over
again,’’ Eyman said. ``Taxes should be the
last resort. When the two-thirds is in effect,
it is the last resort.’’
natorial candidate Jay Inslee.
Thomas acknowledged it’s hard to argue
against the simple pitch of not raising taxes.
She’s been using the education funding
angle this year.
``My arguments are constitutionality,’’
Thomas said. ``It’s definitely a harder pitch,
especially in the middle of this recession. To
get people willing to pay more, it’s a hard
sell. But it’s necessary.’’
Does Eyman see a year when he doesn’t
file an initiative on this? He said he’d like to
see lawmakers allow for a public vote on a
constitutional amendment implementing the
two-thirds rule.
For that to happen, two-thirds of both leg-
islative chambers have to OK the amend-
ment.
The poll, conducted by the
University of Washington, also
found voters supporting four
ballot measures dealing with
gay marriage, legalizing
marijuana, approving charter
schools and limiting taxes.
endum down to 52.9 percent, and those
opposing 46.6 percent.
Barreto noted that in 2009, when voters
were deciding on a referendum on the
state’s so-called ``everything but marriage’’
expansion of the domestic partnership law,
his polling showed the measure was up by
17 points, but it ultimately only won by just
over 6 percentage points.
``On almost every other race in 2009, we
were off by a point, but on that issue, we
were off by more than 10,’’ he said.
On Initiative 502, which would legalize
possession of up to an ounce of marijuana
under state law for those over 21, 50.9 per-
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
percent undecided.
The poll on R-74 also included a third
prediction, based on whether people
answered honestly. Barreto said that
because sometime people answering poll
questions feel social pressure to answer a
certain way, results can be skewed. In this
poll, they weighted the poll based on how
they answered two additional questions: if
they lied on the survey and if any topics
made them uncomfortable. That third pre-
diction reduced those supporting the refer-
Green Party Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein spoke to an enthusiastic
crowd of supporters Oct. 21 at Town Hall. The Green Party is one of six
parties on the ballot for president besides the two mainstream parties.
Tax
continued from page 1
restriction, which they can do with a simple
majority vote after two years.
This year’s initiative is a repeat of the oth-
ers.
The measure reinstates that a two-thirds
legislative majority for new taxes or a sim-
ple majority approval from voters. It also
states that new or increased fees must have
a simple legislative majority for approval.
In Washington, state lawmakers can sus-
pend an initiative two years after it is passed
by a simple majority vote in Olympia.
``We’re probably the most boring ballot
measure across the board,’’ Eyman said jok-
ingly. ``We’re not the sexy marijuana, gay
marriage, even charter schools. We’re just
trying to keep the law the way it is today.’’
It cost about $1.3 million to put the initia-
tive back on the ballot, according to filings.
That money was provided by business inter-
The measure reinstates that a two-thirds
legislative majority for new taxes or a simple
majority approval from voters
raise taxes, if there are no restrictions. The
restriction was lifted in 2010 when lawmak-
ers were able to do it.
``The more recent the vote, the harder it is
Backing the campaign against 1185 are a
cohort of unions and liberal advocacy
groups, as well as a slew of Democratic
lawmakers and candidates, including guber-
point I haven’t heard this is a big problem,’’
she said.
In King County, which includes Seattle
sufficient postage. The number of ballots
without postage averaged about 1,100 each
of the past two years, said Sherril Huff,
Stamps
continued from page 1
ence.’’
Postage-due ballots are not returned to
sender. It’s a secret officials don’t like to
talk about.
``Election officials don’t like us to men-
tion that,’’ Swanson said.
Counties can’t afford to pay for mailing
ballots without voters’ help. At the project-
ed ballot return of 81 percent for 3.9 million
register voters, the 45-cent stamps will add
up to more than $1.4 million.
``It could become quite expensive,’’ said
Moss. ``It’s not something they would want
to be put out there.’’
But it hasn’t been a big issue. ``Up to this
‘We will deliver to every election office whether
they have sufficient postage or not’
and accounts for about one-third of the
votes in the Washington, a single stamp is
King County elections director.
Ballots that require two stamps should
have that information in the voting informa-
tion from the county, Moss said.
In any case, voters should be confident a
stamp doesn’t stand in their way, said Kit-
sap Auditor Washington, who also is presi-
dent of the Washington State Association of
County Auditors.
``I can assure you, however, that ALL
counties have a level of comfort that all vot-
ers will be afforded the ability to cast their
ballots timely and have them counted,’’ he
said by email in response to a question.
Counties mailed out ballots this week.
Voters can fill them out and return them any
time up to the Nov. 6 postmark deadline.
October 24, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 3