Election ’09: Eyman’s Initiative 1033 cleared for November ballot
Published on Thu, Jul 16, 2009 by David Ammons, Communications DirectorRead More County & State
Secretary of State Sam Reed announced Wednesday that Initiative 1033, Tim Eyman’s measure dealing with revenue limits and property tax relief, has enough valid signatures to qualify for a spot on the statewide ballot in November.
According to elections officials, a random check of petition signatures submitted in support of the proposal showed that the measure meets the constitutional requirement for a minimum of 241,153 valid signatures of registered voters.
The measure will be the only citizen initiative on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
Sponsors of Referendum 71, who seek a public vote on the newly passed “everything-but-marriage” domestic partnership measure (Senate Bill 5688), have indicated they are scrambling to meet a July 25 deadline to submit signatures. Over the weekend, sponsors said they have at least 75,000 signatures on hand. It takes 120,577 valid signatures to qualify a referendum for the ballot, but the state Elections Division suggests sponsors try to turn in about 150,000, to cover invalid or duplicate signatures, which can run 20 percent or more.
The official ballot summary prepared by the state Attorney General for I-1033 says “This measure would limit growth in state revenues deposited in funds subject to the state expenditure limit, and limit growth in county and city revenues deposited into the county and city current expense funds. The limit would be adjusted based on annual growth in inflation and population. The limit also would apply to revenues transferred out of these funds. The limit would exclude voter-approved revenue increases. Revenues above the limit would reduce property tax levies.”
The complete test is available online at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/people.aspx?y=2009
Sponsors of I-1033 submitted 315,444 signatures to the Secretary of State by the July 2 turn-in deadline. Election officials conducted a 3 percent random sample of 9,614 signatures, checking that the person was a registered state voter and that the signature matched the one on file. The check showed that 976 were invalid or duplicate signatures, an unusually low invalidation rate of 12 percent. That test showed that Eyman’s initiative secured more than enough signatures.
According to elections officials, a random check of petition signatures submitted in support of the proposal showed that the measure meets the constitutional requirement for a minimum of 241,153 valid signatures of registered voters.
The measure will be the only citizen initiative on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
Sponsors of Referendum 71, who seek a public vote on the newly passed “everything-but-marriage” domestic partnership measure (Senate Bill 5688), have indicated they are scrambling to meet a July 25 deadline to submit signatures. Over the weekend, sponsors said they have at least 75,000 signatures on hand. It takes 120,577 valid signatures to qualify a referendum for the ballot, but the state Elections Division suggests sponsors try to turn in about 150,000, to cover invalid or duplicate signatures, which can run 20 percent or more.
The official ballot summary prepared by the state Attorney General for I-1033 says “This measure would limit growth in state revenues deposited in funds subject to the state expenditure limit, and limit growth in county and city revenues deposited into the county and city current expense funds. The limit would be adjusted based on annual growth in inflation and population. The limit also would apply to revenues transferred out of these funds. The limit would exclude voter-approved revenue increases. Revenues above the limit would reduce property tax levies.”
The complete test is available online at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/people.aspx?y=2009
Sponsors of I-1033 submitted 315,444 signatures to the Secretary of State by the July 2 turn-in deadline. Election officials conducted a 3 percent random sample of 9,614 signatures, checking that the person was a registered state voter and that the signature matched the one on file. The check showed that 976 were invalid or duplicate signatures, an unusually low invalidation rate of 12 percent. That test showed that Eyman’s initiative secured more than enough signatures.
