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Monday, July 20, 2009

Homo R-71 Will Submit Signatures Saturday

Posted by on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 1:26 PM

Says David Ammons, spokesman for the Washington Secretary of State's Office:

Sponsors of Referendum 71, seeking a public vote this fall on the state’s new “everything but marriage” domestic partnership bill, plan to submit their petitions to the State Elections Division on Saturday afternoon.

The organizers, Protect Marriage Washington, have made arrangements to bring in boxloads of voter signatures at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Secretary of State’s Office in the Capitol. It takes 120,573 valid signatures to earn a place on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot. Election officials suggest a 25 percent pad, or roughly 150k, to offset duplicate or invalid signatures.

The bigot brigade, according to sources, has been canvassing church congregations in rural Washington for signatures and heavily petitioning at Walmarts. It's difficult to gauge whether the petition will qualify. It had only about seven weeks out in Jesus Country—a short time for a lot of work. Ammons says that referendum sponsors, when scheduling the meeting on Saturday (the deadline), didn't indicate how many signatures they currently have on hand. However, last week, he reported that the campaign organizers said said at least 75,000 signatures on hand—half what the Elections Division estimates it needs to make the ballot.

 

Comments (13) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1

Why can't gays just call their domestic partnerships "garriage" and then exclude straights?

Then we'd all be even...

Posted by Rod King on July 20, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Baconcat 2
They've already hit their goal.

They're doing a victory lap of signature gathering to pull an Eyman "look how much we got beyond the recommended number!!"
Posted by Baconcat on July 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
3
The Secretary of State's office is closed on Saturdays, so the signature deadline should actually be on Friday.

Looks like favoritism if the Sec. of State opens up special, just for these people. Or is this a favor they extend to all signature-gathering campaigns who can't submit the required numbers during regular working hours?
Posted by Citizen R on July 20, 2009 at 1:55 PM
4
#3
Yes - STOP - standard operating procedure

Nothing special here

You are not in Washington state or new, the Process is very important, regarded as the citizen legislature

The key to getting on the ballot is the extra number as cushion against bad names - most initiatives fail in the signature drive...

This is not good news, paid drive means money backers...

Posted by Alex in the park on July 20, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Dominic Holden 5
@ 3) Saturday is the deadline prescribed by law--ninety days after the last day of the legislative session--so the Secretary of State's office is obligated to be in that day.
Posted by Dominic Holden on July 20, 2009 at 2:26 PM
6
This all goes to a vote later in the year now, right?

How is this not as serious as Proposition 8?
Posted by Ackham on July 20, 2009 at 2:49 PM
7
It would be rich if,
after weeks of
mocking
and sitting
on your complacent ASSES
these losers got on the ballot
and beat your butts.
Posted by Never Knew Washington Sucked So Bad on July 20, 2009 at 2:53 PM
Beetlecat 8
I keep hoping someone will call this "S R-71" ...
Posted by Beetlecat on July 20, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Will in Seattle 9
@3 for the Law Suit win.
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on July 20, 2009 at 4:43 PM
10
#6

Nov. general election ... as serious as Calif? ... sure.

It is a bout marriage, the other side has the media advantage and the NO - it will be hard to beat them. Seattle talks the talk, does not turn out in record numbers for any vote.

If the other side has the Calif. funders and election team from the other side, Washington is in for one hell of a campaign.

And, if we don't turn to and mobilize Seattle/King and the I-5 cities, they can beat us.

We will need 2 million to win - and a short 14 week campaign span.

Get your check book ready and prepare to go to work.
Posted by Film Goer on July 20, 2009 at 5:32 PM
CodyBolt 11
Ugh I hate this it makes me feel so helpless.
Posted by CodyBolt on July 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
12
Dan is out saving the WORLD (or at least getting on TV every week TALKING about SAVING THE WORLD) while Washington Gay Rights goes Straight to Hell.
This makes me sad.
Posted by SearttleHomo on July 21, 2009 at 5:26 AM
Greg 13
Still waiting for my mailbox full of ridiculously large petition forms...
Posted by Greg on July 21, 2009 at 11:02 AM

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