“Support for election consolidation among the public is a mile wide. It’s not a mystery why: 

ordinary voters prefer fewer, better elections. They would rather fill out one ballot per year, even if it’s long, than three or five ballots.
Voters in the state of Washington, for example, face four election days in a typical year, while in neighboring British Columbia, Canada, voters usually have one.”

https://open.substack.com/pub/democracysos/p/the-bizarre-red-blue-politics-of

#EvenYearElections #waleg #elections #SightlineInstitute #DemocracySOS

Ways & Means declines to take up NPI’s even year elections bill, ending its 2024 run

House Bill 1932 would have given Washington’s cities and towns the freedom to switch their elections to even years, when voter turnout is much higher and more diverse. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/02/ways-means-declines-to-take-up-npis-even-year-elections-bill-ending-its-2024-run.html

#EvenYearElections

NPI’s even year elections bill advances out of Senate State Government Committee

HB 1932 would change an old state law dating back to the 1960s that requires municipalities to hold their regularly scheduled elections in odd-numbered years. It received a “do pass” recommendation on February 20th. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/02/npis-even-year-elections-bill-advances-out-of-senate-state-government-committee.html

#EvenYearElections

Allowing localities to switch their elections to even years is far from a “premature” idea

Read NPI’s rebuttal to an editorial in The Herald of Everett that argued that lawmakers should not pass NPI’s legislation to give localities the freedom to choose their own election timing. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/02/allowing-localities-to-switch-their-elections-to-even-years-is-far-from-a-premature-idea.html

#EvenYearElections #MediaCriticism

VICTORY! Washington State House passes NPI’s even year elections for localities bill

House Bill 1932, first introduced about a month ago, received the support of fifty-two state representatives, with forty-five in opposition and one excused. The legislation is NPI’s top priority for the 2024 legislative session. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/02/victory-washington-state-house-passes-npis-even-year-elections-for-localities-bill.html

#EvenYearElections

NPI urges Washington State House to advance legislation to move local elections to even years

Read NPI founder Andrew Villeneuve’s prepared remarks in support of House Bill 1932, which would empower local governments in Washington to move their elections to even-numbered years. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/01/npi-urges-washington-state-house-to-advance-legislation-to-move-local-elections-to-even-years.html

#EvenYearElections #VoterTurnout

NPI makes the case for letting cities switch to even year elections on KUOW’s Soundside

NPI’s proposal to allow cities and towns to move their regularly scheduled elections to even years if they want is drawing a lot of interest in the wake of the 2023 general election, which saw the worst turnout in state history. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2023/12/npi-makes-the-case-for-letting-cities-switch-to-even-year-elections-on-kuows-soundside.html

#EvenYearElections #VoterTurnout

2023 is the new worst: Washington again sets a record for low turnout in a general election

November 28th, 2023 was the deadline for counties to certify their returns in the November 2023 general election. Statewide turnout will pass into the history books at 36.41% for this year. That’s the lowest Washington has seen since recordkeeping began. …

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2023/11/2023-is-the-new-worst-washington-again-sets-a-record-for-low-turnout-in-a-general-election.html

#EvenYearElections #VoterTurnout