I-432 Gets Boost

Initiative to the Washington Legislature, no. 432, has received a new boost with unexpected help from an influential source. This initiative, if made law, would make it easier for common citizens to run for public office by lowering signature requirements for election candidacy petitions in which the candidate does not have the economic wherewithal to pay the filing fee. One example would be a person who wants to run for the United States House of Representatives: if that potential candidate cannot pay the approximate one thousand seven hundred dollars for the filing fee, then, under our initiative, he or she would need only 200 signatures on an election candidacy petition from registered voters in the district that he or she is running in. Candidates for statewide office would need 500 signatures. Candidates for local positions, generally, would need 50 signatures. One improvement from this initiative would be less uncontested races on the ballot in which there is only one candidate's name. This would be an important improvement for citizens not in the upper echelons of society to be able to participate in the government and in the system of democracy, especially since filing fees as presently constructed will continually rise when government officials get pay raises (the filing fees are one per cent of the salary of the office in Washington).

Now, with this new help, our chances of getting approximately 250,000 signatures by 12/31/09 have increased significantly, but more than ever we will need financial support to print the petitions that are necessary (the printing is not cheap) and for other costs involved with a petition effort. Please, send whatever you can from $1 to $100 (or more) to help us with this endeavor to increase participation in the people's democracy.

Send checks to: Democracy in Election Process, P.O. Box 612, Bellevue, WA 98009

While you're at it, please, consider sending a check to help Mark's campaign for King County Council, too: Mark Greene for Council Committee, send to the same address as listed above for the initiative committee.

Thank you very much!

Copyright 2008 - 2009, Party of Commons TM

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