Protect the Initiative Act
Election Results
| Option | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| No | 674,968 | 60.80% |
| Yes | 435,203 | 39.20% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About the Measure
This measure would define terms concerning interfering with or retaliating against petition-signers and signature-gatherers, and would make such conduct a criminal misdemeanor and subject to anti-harassment laws. The measure would require that all state and local measures receiving enough signatures be placed on the ballot, limiting pre-election legal challenges. The measure would also extend the time for filing initiatives and gathering signatures from ten to sixteen months before the election when the vote would occur.
Complete Coverage
GMO labeling initiative appears headed for failure; Eyman’s I-517 rejected
Washington voters signaled they are leery of requiring labels on genetically modified foods, satisfied with their century-old initiative process and have mixed advice for the Legislature on taxes. Initiative 522, which would have required many foods and beverages that contain genetically modified ingredients sold in Washington to carry labels, was trailing Tuesday night by more than 95,000 votes and appeared headed for defeat.
Bill would extend signature gathering time on initiatives
OLYMPIA – As state law enforcement officials began investigating more than 8,000 allegedly forged signatures for a pair of ballot measures, a legislative panel looked at changes to the initiative process – the century-old avenue for grass-roots democracy. One suggestion the Senate Governmental Operations Committee aired out Thursday: Give initiative campaigns more time to circulate petitions.
Eyman puts initiative law into initiative
OLYMPIA – Almost every year for more than a decade, Washington’s premier proponent of initiatives, Tim Eyman, has had a ballot measure to promote, and 2013 is no exception. This year’s initiative topic: initiatives. Eyman and other supporters of Initiative 517 filed petitions with more than 345,000 signatures Thursday for a proposal to change the state’s initiative law. It would set penalties for anyone harassing a signature gatherer, allow signatures to be gathered at the entrance to any store or inside or outside any public building, and add an extra six months to the signature-gathering process.