Our ballots came in the mail. Someday it will be interesting to remember what we were voting on in 2012:
- Initiative 1185, if passed, would make it harder to raise taxes by requiring a 2/3 majority vote in both the House and the Senate and it could also require a vote by the people.
- Initiative 1240, if passed, would allow public charter schools.
- Initiative 502, if passed, would legalize marijuana.
- Referendum 74, if rejected, would overturn a bill passed earlier in the year by the Washington legislature and governor legalizing same-sex marriages.
- Resolution 8221, if passed, would lower the amount of debt the state can carry.
- Resolution 8223, if passed, would allow WSU and UW to invest public funds in private companies.
- There are a couple of advisory votes which are non-binding but let the legislature know what our opinions are on some of our tax increases.
- Our state puts the two nominees who get the most votes in the primaries (other than for the office of president) on the ballot regardless of their party - so we have two from the same party running for the same office some times.
- Our gubernatorial election in 2004 was a mess. Dino Rossi got the most votes, but it was close enough that contender Christine Gregoire requested a recount. Dino Rossi still led with the most votes after the recount, but again it was close enough that Christine Gregoire requested another recount. On the third count she had more votes so she became our governor. We didn't know who our governor was going to be for several months. It was a mess. Her time has expired and we are voting for a new governor.
- The east side of our state is conservative, the west side is liberal. The west always wins. Argh.
1 comment:
Super interesting! Now let's hear how you are voting on all of these. :) just kidding. The area I live in is pretty conservative as well, along with eastern Oregon. But Eugene and northward through Portland is very liberal. They always win too.
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