by Sue | Nov 2, 2022 | 2022 Elections
It’s a good idea to go to the State VoteWA to see if your ballot has been sent, and to verify that your address is shown correctly. You can check, too, when the ballot has been sent by you (preferably at the courthouse, or at a dropbox). (You can download the following guide here:How to check your ballot status)
To start the process, go to:
and sign in with your name and birthdate. The sign in screen looks like this:
When you have signed in, the screen will show say “Welcome” with your name beneath. Registration Status should show as “Active”
Check the information given there – be sure your address (which shows right beneath the Active status is correct.
There are two buttons there a blue one and a red one. DO NOT CLICK ON EITHER OF THOSE IF YOUR INFORMATION IS ACCURATE.
On the left side of the screen, you will see a list – one of which says “MY BALLOT”. There may be a down arrow, or the window may be open (see the two screenshots below). If it’s not showing “Ballot Status”, then click on the down arrow (on the “My Ballot” tab), and it will drop down so you can see “Ballot Status”. CLICK ON “BALLOT STATUS”.
Once you have the BALLOT STATUS window open, you’ll be able to see when your ballot was sent. (The date there will probably be October 19th, 2022.) If you haven’t sent in your ballow yet, the Ballot Returned Date and the Ballot Status will be blank. (See below)
Once you have returned your ballot (give it a few days for processing), go back into the Vote WA, and check to be sure your ballot has been received and accepted. (If it only shows as “Received”, then give it some more time and check again, until you see that your ballot has been “Accepted”.)
If your ballot shows as “Rejected” it might be because your signature doesn’t match, and the Election Division should be getting hold of you to have you verify your signature. If you don’t hear from them in a few days, reach out to them or go into the courthouse (Elections Manager: (360) 417-2217) to find out what the issue might be.
If you are waiting to vote, please DO NOT WAIT until November 8th. All kinds of things can happen to cost you your vote – an emergency comes up; you forget to vote; if you go to the courthouse to vote and there is a long line, at 8 p.m., voting ends.
We urge you to vote no later than November 7th – and do not put your ballot in the mail, as it goes all the way to Tacoma to be processed, could get lost, and your vote won’t get counted. Either put it into a dropbox, take it to the courthouse, OR
If you want to wait until close to election day, come by Clallam County Republican headquarters anytime on November 7th! We will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 7 for an “in person” voting opportunity! (We’ll have snacks and drinks for you there, too!!) Come by and see us, fill out your ballot, and then join us in going over to the courthouse only a block away to put your ballot in the courthouse dropbox!
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to give a call!
Sue Forde, Chair – 360-477-8151 (If I don’t answer, leave a message, and I WILL call you back!)
P. S. If you’d like to help us call those Republicans who haven’t yet voted, to help be sure we get every needed vote to WIN, let us know, and we’ll get you a call list! CLICK HERE, fill out the volunteer form and under “Message” write that you want to help “Get Out the Vote.”
by Sue | Oct 16, 2022 | 2022 Elections
When the Legislature passes any bill that increases taxes without a vote of the people, the people are informed of that vote by way of an advisory vote on their ballot.
This advisory vote process stems from a initiative vote that we, the citizens, took years ago (I-902) that required a 2/3 vote of the legislature to raise taxes. The Supreme Court struck down the 2/3 vote part, but the other parts of the Initiative remained in place – one of which requires that every time the Legislature raises any sort of taxes (even with a 2/3 vote), it is placed on the ballot as an Advisory Vote.
The result of an advisory vote has no effect on the law itself. You are just advising the Legislature of what you want. They have no obligation to listen to you. They are just a way of informing your elected officials of your opinion.
We have two advisory votes this year.
Advisory Vote #39 is regarding a law that increased the tax on aircraft fuel from 11 cents to 18 cents per gallon. This money goes into the general fund and was part of a huge package of increased taxes and fees to supposedly pay for green energy policies. However, unlike the gas tax, this money is not constrained by the Constitution to go toward roads and infrastructure, so the Legislature can decide to spend it on anything they want.
Here is the bill report for SB 5974. It was supported by all Democrats and opposed by all Republicans.
Advisory Vote #40 is regarding a tax that was implemented related to transportation networks. Sometimes, industries that are present throughout the state end up with a situation where they have to deal with multiple regulations that differ from city to city or county to county. That was the case with this industry (Lyft and Uber are part of this industry). This bill created one uniform standard of regulations that would allow consistency throughout the state. It also established standards for employment and benefits for that same consistency, allowing drivers to receive sick leave, unemployment, and workers compensation. This was a bill that these transportation companies worked on with the Legislature and they approved the final bill. Because of the agreement with the industry, some Republicans were willing to vote for the bill at the request of these companies.
Here is the bill report for ESHB 2076. Most Republicans vote no on bills that raise taxes just to get more money for the general fund. Some vote no on any bill that raises any tax that will result in an Advisory Vote. Some will vote yes on a bill that is a request from the industry, usually because it makes it easier for the industry in some way.
If you disagree with the law, you mark that you want the law Repealed. If you are fine with the law, you vote that you want the law Maintained. Regardless of how we all vote, remember that these two votes are just an opinion. There is no action taken because of this vote.
Guest Editorial by Ruth Peterson (reprinted with permission)
Ruth Peterson is State Committeewoman for Lewis County Republican Party, and works in the State Senate.
by Ruth Peterson | Oct 12, 2022 | 2022 Elections, Commentary
Guest Editorial by Ruth Peterson
We have a form of government where the citizens elect representatives in their communities who then gather in the Legislature at the state level or in Congress at the federal level. Those representatives make our laws. That is called the Legislative Branch of government. The Executive Branch has the job of carrying out those laws. But in recent decades, this process has been turned on its head, and more and more, our executives, the Governor and the President, are bypassing your representatives to make the laws themselves.
The Executive Branch isn’t just the President or the Governor. It also includes all the agencies that oversee our lives in just about every way. At the state level, a few of these are Ecology, Labor & Industries, Employment Security, and Fish & Wildlife. At the federal level, you have the EPA, FDA, CDC, US Forest Service, etc. Agencies are being used by the Executive to pass rules that have the force of law. Here are some examples:
1. You cannot work at a government agency in Washington State unless you have been vaccinated. This was not a law passed by the Legislature but an order by the Governor to his agencies making them require it. Ironically, the mandate doesn’t take into account those who have had COVID and recovered. A vaccination from a year and a half ago is fine. Natural immunities from a month ago are not.
2. The EPA just announced they will make decisions based on social justice. That was a decision made by unelected people on a Board, not by your elected representatives. Businesses must comply with thousands of regulations created by agencies. Hunting and fishing, farming, food service, and child care, all have boards and commissions overseeing them. Some rules stem from laws passed by the Legislature, but many times the law is very vague, and the agencies are allowed to flesh out the requirements. This gives agencies a great deal of power.
3. President Biden recently used this power to bypass Congress. His decision to forgive student loans was not a decision made by your elected representatives – it was his decision alone.
4. The U.S. Dept of Labor, another agency, is going to unveil a proposed rule that will undermine independent contractors. Franchises will also be harmed. If you are an independent contractor, you need to be aware of this rule. You can read more about it here: https://bit.ly/3SGDriz
5. Our agencies do different things depending on who is running them. When Obama was in office, there was a clean water rule that was put into place that would have required you to get expensive federal permits for building if you even had a ditch on your property. They were going to claim that your wetlands are “navigable waters.” The Trump Admin repealed the rule. Another Trump agency direction was to remove 16 regulations for every new one proposed. They were able to repeal a lot of useless red tape during his time in office.
These are just a few examples of the thousands of rules and regulations that affect every part of your life but were not voted on by your elected representatives. This is not how our government is supposed to function. It’s also how the government can grow by leaps and bounds, and it needs to change. There is a very clear difference between the Democrat and Republican view of the agency bureaucracies in our country. Republicans support a government that is smaller in scope and size, whereas Democrats want to expand the size of government and the control it has over your life. Our Constitution says that the power of government comes from the people. The way we exert our power is through our vote.
Please take the time to vote this November. If you think government is too big and powerful, or if you feel that you want your elected representatives to vote on laws instead of unelected bureaucrats, you need to vote Republican.
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Ruth Peterson is State Committeewoman for Lewis County Republican Party, and works in the State Senate.
by Sue | Oct 7, 2022 | 2022 Elections, Clallam County News, Olympia News and Views, Republican Party News
October 7, 2022 – At its regular Central Committee meeting last night, there was a unanimous vote to endorse Brad Klippert as the Republican write-in candidate for Secretary of State. With a top-two primary in Washington State regardless of political party, a Democrat and an “Independent” ended up in the top two spots heading into the general election, due to four Republican candidates running in that race, splitting the vote.
Klippert is endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party, 22 other County Parties so far, and that number is growing.
Klippert said, “I’m honored to answer the call to serve our State and work towards improving our election laws and systems.” Brad Klippert was first elected to public office in 2008 to represent the 8th legislative district and has been re-elected with overwhelming majorities in every subsequent election. Brad is a 7-term State House Representative. He currently serves as the House Minority Vice-Caucus Chair.
As a write-in candidate, Klippert’s name will not appear in the voting pamphlet or on the ballot. He’ll be counting on voters around the state to write in “Brad Klippert” for Secretary of State.
He opposes ranked choice voting, which has become a hot topic in the Secretary of State race after polls showed 40% undecided voters and strong opposition to Ranked Choice Voting. As Secretary of State, Klippert’s other priorities will include: Improving election integrity, Transparency & Security, ensuring voters are verified U.S. Citizens, making election day a holiday, and working to restore in-person voting. Klippert said, “My years of experience working within the legislature to create laws will help me chart a logical path towards improving our elections for all Washingtonians.”
Klippert’s priorities include:
Improve Election Integrity, Transparency & Security
Ensure Voters are verified U.S. Citizens
Make Election Day a Holiday
Restore In Person Voting
Oppose: Ranked Choice Voting!
Spread the word!! Because this is a “write in” campaign, Klippert’s name will not appear on the ballot.
You must mark the “Write In” bubble on your ballot, then write his name: “Brad Klippert”.
by Sue | Sep 28, 2021 | Olympia News & Views 2021
Olympia, WA – 9/21/2021 – Redistricting Commissioner Paul Graves today released a newly drawn map that seeks to make legislative districts more competitive.
“Our politics are polarized, and a major reason is non competitive districts. By making more districts competitive, more Washingtonians get to vote in up-for-grabs races, candidates and parties must work harder for their votes, and legislators will be encouraged to listen to all of their constituents,” said Graves.
The newly proposed map follows substantial public input, with more than 20 public hearings across the state, hundreds of public comments, and scores of citizen-drawn map proposals.
Graves’s map is faithful to the legal guidelines governing redistricting, because it focuses on communities of interest and is not drawn to favor either party or incumbents. “This shift doesn’t just benefit any one party, but in fact levels the playing field for both Democrats and Republicans alike.”
Graves’s map increases the overall number of competitive districts—those within three percent of 50/50, using an average of the 2020 statewide race results that pitted a Democrat against a Republican —to eleven, nearly doubling the current six swing districts.
Graves’s map also gives a voice to historically-underrepresented communities. “The 2010 map featured two majority-minority districts; this map has eight, including a true South Tacoma district where a majority of the citizen voting age population is predominantly people of color. This map also takes into account the views of Washington’s tribal governments, providing districts that meet the requests of each tribal government that consulted with us. Fair representation should be bipartisan, and this map reflects that.”
Graves’s map also keeps cities together as much as possible. “The more communities of interest remain intact, the more influential they can ultimately be,” said Graves. “This is a good government map—it’s competitive, fair, follows the constitutional requirements, and focuses on keeping communities of interest together.”
“I kept hearing that cities were split up in nonsensical ways which sought to benefit one party over the other, so I made it a point to try to keep them together,” added Graves. “Cities like Bremerton, Tacoma, Vancouver, Everett and many others have experienced unnecessary district divisions for too long. I’m also proud that we were able to create a new JBLM district. All cities contained in this version of the 28th district have a population with more than 10% active duty military or veteran status. Our servicemen and women put their lives on the line in service to our country; they deserve good representation.”
“This proposal is just the beginning of the negotiation process. We will continue to listen to the public and keep our process transparent. And I will be fighting for competitive districts that give Washingtonians the best chance to turn their votes into legislators they support.”
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Former state representative Paul Graves was born and raised in Maple Valley. One of five children, he attended Tahoma public schools and graduated from Western Washington University—where he served as the student body president—and earned his law degree from Duke University. After law school he served for a year as a law clerk to Washington Supreme Court Justice James Johnson. He then worked at Perkins Coie LLP, the state’s leading law firm.
He served in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2017-19, where he was the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee. He now works as an in-house lawyer for a family- owned trucking company and serves as president of Enterprise Washington, the campaign arm for the state’s business community. He, his wife Jenny, and their sons Patrick and Daniel live in
Newcastle.
Paul is an engaged community member. He maintains an active pro bono legal practice, representing foster youth in legal proceedings. In 2011 he was named the pro bono attorney of the year by the Court Appointed Special Advocate organization, which represents the interest of foster children in court. He served as a board member of both an innovative college-prep non- profit for low income kids, and on one of Washington’s first public charter schools, a high performing school with a computer science focus on Kent’s east hill. He chaired the board of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (a bipartisan group doing cost-benefit analysis of government programs) and currently serves on the board of HopeLink (a community action network serving homeless and low-income children, families, seniors, and disabled people in East King County), and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition (a bipartisan group working to keep our outdoor spaces open, accessible, and protected).
