By Cindy Madigan, Multi-Member Districts Education Project

Is there a relationship between the method used to select our representatives and peoples’ numerous complaints about the government it produces? This question led to League interest in multi-member districts, and in May of 2023—at the LWVWA's Convention in Pasco—members approved a new education project on the topic. We have been working hard on this project ever since!

The group spearheading the project, which consists of Kit Muehlman and Cindy Madigan from LWV Bellingham/Whatcom County; Chris Mason from LWV Mason County; Cindy Black from LWV Snohomish County; and Kirsten Rooks from LWV King County, have spent many months creating educational materials on Multi-Member Districts. The group also worked with two professors from Western Washington University and other League members to read and review the materials.

On November 9 the group will launch their education program, beginning with a presentation on Zoom. 

About the Presentation

The presentation will take place on Saturday, November 9 at 10 AM. It will be a Zoom presentation with a Q&A session afterwards. League members and the public alike are welcome and encouraged to attend!

The system used for electing our representatives is seldom questioned in the United States. Recently, in the face of voter apathy and increased expressions of antipathy towards government, some have begun to consider the potential relationship between the method used to select our representatives and peoples' numerous complaints about the government it produces. This presentation will outline what multi-member districts are, where and how they are used, as well as how they could improve representation.

The presentation will be recorded and soon a webpage will be available with resources and FAQs about multi-member districts.

Register Now

Please reach out to Cindy Madigan or Kit Muehlman with questions or for more information at mmd@lwvwa.org.

OMG! The League of Women Voters has been doing A LOT across Washington state as we lead up to the 2024 election. From tabling for voter registration and education, to serving as election observers, and, of course, hosting candidate forums and debates—local Leagues are stepping up to empower voters and defend democracy. This election season, Leagues are being called on to do all of these things and more to help voters in Washington. Crucially, much of this work has been aimed at young voters and high schoolers. It's a lot, but well worth the effort. Please take a moment to thank yourselves and each other for all this great work!

At the LWVWA, there is also much going on. Four general election debates are posted on our website, along with the list of questions that were asked during the events. The debates were for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Public Lands, Secretary of State, and U.S. Senate.

What stands out about League debates is the quality of the questions. Guidance from the League of Women Voters of the United States has done much to ensure our questions aren't "gotcha" questions, but instead apply to the job being sought, stick to one topic, and represent the interests and concerns of the community at large. This makes for a great debate. I recall hearing a League member once say "great questions make great debates." So true!

The LWVWA is also working to make sure the community knows that Vote411 is available as a resource for voters. We recently sent an email to League friends and members asking for their help in nudging candidates to answer questions for the League's nonpartisan voter guide. Here are some stats from that effort:

• Vote411, the League's online candidate guide, hosts 615 candidates. These candidates represent every race in Washington state—from cemetery district to President. No matter where you live in Washington, you can access important voter information on Vote411.
  
  
• Of the 615 candidates included in the guide, 334 failed to respond. We targeted 132 of those candidates in 105 races—those who were running for state-wide races (9 candidates), Congress, and the state legislature. These candidates are who we asked you to reach out to.
  
  
• You sent out an overall total of 1,100 emails asking candidates to complete the League's questionnaire, and as a result, many of the candidates did fill out the questionnaire. Thank you! Though there remains work to do, this is one of the best responses we've gotten in our efforts to nudge candidates to participate in this important voter resource.

Thank you to all who helped nudge the candidates! If you would like to jump in on this effort, there is still time. Take a look at Vote411 and see who still needs to fill out the questionnaire—and who should be thanked for already doing so. The message we sent out asking you to nudge candidates showed the names of those who had not responded. The names of those who did respond didn't appear, but thanking these candidates for participating is hugely important! If you can do that, many thanks to you!

 In League,

Mary Coltrane, LWVWA President

This month we hear from incarcerated journalist Antoine Davis, who shares a piece about how the Washington Department of Corrections prioritizes prison labor over rehabilitation.

In The Profitable Prisoner, Antoine explains that many people engage in criminal behavior as a result of living with unmitigated trauma. But instead of producing and supporting programs that help hurting people heal, Washington's Department of Corrections places greater emphasis on utilizing incarcerated bodies for cheap labor.

The results are simple: incarcerated individuals learn how to wash dishes and dirty underwear, but never learn how to process the harm that initially led them to prison. This article exposes the sad reality that keeps recidivism rates high, while undermining the push for public safety.

Read the Full Article 

Antoine E. Davis, is incarcerated with a 63-year prison sentence. He is a licensed pastor for Freedom Church of Seattle, and the Inside Director of Organizing for Look2Justice, a grassroots organization that provides civic education for system impacted community members.

By Raelene Gold, LWVWA's Representative to the Columbia River Treaty NGO Caucus

The Columbia River is of upmost importance to the Pacific northwest, contributing 40% of US hydropower, irrigation for agriculture, transportation for commercial cargo, and a highway for migrating salmon. The LWVWA, along with the LWV of Oregon, LWV of Idaho, and LWV of Montana, has a long and significant history of involvement with the 1964 Columbia River Treaty and its current modernization process. The LWVWA and LWVOR participated in the 2013 Regional Recommendation that included a third treaty goal of ecosystem health to help salmon survival. The other two goals are maximum hydropower production and flood risk management to prevent flooding in southern British Columbia and the lower Columbia. 

In the current modernization of the Columbia River Treaty (CRT), Canada and the US announced an Agreement in Principle (AIG) on July 11. It included flexibility for Canada, a reduction in the Canadian entitlement that the US pays Canada, and a new flood risk management regime. It also included a new Tribal and Indigenous advisory body. But it excluded the third treaty goal of ecosystem health to help salmon. The LWVWA has a representative on the CRT NGO caucus which is composed of environmental, faith and civic groups. The caucus wrote a letter to the State Department and northwest Senators expressing disappointment in the AIP’s exclusion of the third treaty goal, and listing five actions that the State Department and northwest Senators could take to improve the AIP (see attached letter). To get League approval to sign onto the letter, it was first necessary to get approval of the President of LWVWA and then from LWVUS filling out a Request for Federal Action form. Fifty-seven organizations signed onto the letter including LWVOR, LWVID and LWVMT. You can read the letter here. 

Another concern for the League has been how little transparency or public involvement the US State Department has offered, in contrast to British Columbia which meets with and discuses treaty progress with BC environmental groups regularly. 

If you would like to join the LWVWA’s exciting work on the CRT, please contact Raelene Gold or LWVWA President Mary Coltrane. Once the modernized CRT is agreed to, it will go to the US Senate to be ratified, so there's still lots more to do!

The League of Women Voters of Washington opposes Initiative 2117. The rationale for our opposition is detailed in an Issue Paper.  

Initiative 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act (CCA, SB 5126 of 2021), and prohibit all state agencies, counties, and cities from implementing any type of carbon tax credit trading. The CCA is one of our state’s key laws that curbs pollution. It gradually reduces pollution by incentivizing companies to invest in clean energy alternatives and allows the state to invest in protecting our air, water, forests, farmlands, jobs, and transportation. Thanks to this law placing a fee on pollution, $2 billion so far is being put to work across Washington. That funding helps more Washingtonians switch to climate-friendly options for their homes, schools, businesses, vehicles, and more. 

The CCA created a cap and trade and invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create an environmental justice task force to ensure equity in implementation. It requires the state’s largest emitters to purchase at auction allowances to release a portion of their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) under a cap, and the cap decreases over time. Requiring allowance purchases encourages emitting facilities to upgrade their operations and reduce their emissions.  

The resulting revenues from the allowance auction provide funds to invest in reducing small emission sources and implement efficiency opportunities, such as in vehicles, houses, and small businesses. Other funding will focus reduction opportunities to improve the environment in overburdened communities and Tribes for health and life quality. 

The LWVWA position is that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and our planet. We support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates, emphasize energy conservation, and encourage the use of renewable resources. 

And we stand united with, and in support of, efforts to price carbon emissions, whether cap-and-trade, carbon tax or fee, or other viable pricing mechanisms. 

Washington State has made a commitment to reduce our emissions to 95% below 1990 levels by 2025. This aggressive objective has instigated the legislature to implement many policies to achieve that. By far the most significant policy is the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). If the CCA is repealed, Washington State is unlikely to achieve the GHG emission targets set in 2020 (HB 2311). The CCA is the major part of recent policy implementation to achieve the 2030 interim goal.  

I-2117 would force drastic cuts to funds for our state’s transportation plan, putting road projects at risk, reducing public transit service, cutting funding for new ferries, and making traffic worse. I-2117 would mean more pollution in our air and water, and it would gut programs that protect communities from wildfires. It would jeopardize vital protections for our waterways and eliminate efforts to support salmon recovery and fish habitat. There is nothing in I-2117 that guarantees lower gas prices. It is a misleading initiative opposed by over 350 organizations including firefighters, small businesses, Tribal Nations, doctors and more because repealing the CCA would threaten our health and make traffic worse. 

The LWVWA recommends voting no on I-2117. Learn more at Home | Vote NO on Initiative 2117 (no2117.com). Take action to support No on 2117 efforts, by visiting Volunteer Opportunities, Events, and Petitions Near Me · No on 2117 on Mobilize.

There's a lot in the news about how many days until the election on November 5. The presidential election is likely to bring out first time and irregular voters. This is a chance to capitalize on this interest and bring these voters into the electorate as permanent voters—and their kids too.

Here are some ways the LWVWA is working to empower voters:

VOTE411 is a major tool for helping overwhelmed voters sort through candidates and ballot measures. When voters sign in with their address, they see who will be on their ballot. This helps voters focus on candidates. And the online personalized voter guide is well-adapted to young voters who use their phones for so much.

Statewide debates. 2024 is the year all statewide offices are up for election. The state League is working with local Leagues to hold debates on selected races. Voters can view three primary forums on the state League website: Superintendent of Public Instruction; Attorney General; and Commissioner for Public Lands. Shelley Kneip, Debates Coordinator, is working with local Leagues on general election debates in September and October. They include:

• Commissioner of Public Lands with LWV of Benton/Franklin
• Superintendent of Public Instruction and Senate with LWV of Seattle/King County
• Insurance Commissioner and Secretary of State with LWV of Snohomish County

This makes for a lot of balls in the air as we work to confirm candidate participation, a venue and a moderator—then get the word out! Both candidates must participate; an empty-chair debate won't work. Both candidates must agree to participate. If that doesn't happen, we will have to cancel. Fingers crossed. Keep an eye on the LWVWA website for time and location. The debates will be available for streaming through election day.

Simplified ballot summaries are also coming. These one and half pagers summarize key points and pro/con arguments for each of the four initiatives that will be on the November ballot: Initiatives 2109 regarding capital gains taxes,  2117 regarding the state's carbon market, 2124 regarding long term care insurance, and 2066 regarding state regulations on natural gas.

The Voter Services Committee continues to educate its members on election laws and tips for engaging with voters in their communities. And there is a lot of work being done in local League communities! Contact Beth Pellicciotti at bpellicciotti@lwvwa.org to learn more.

Many Leagues are gearing up for National Voter Registration Day, September 17:

• Benton/Franklin is working with Seattle Children's Tri-Cities Clinic and the Tri-Cities branch of Washington State University. It's voter registration week for Benton/Franklin League!
• Clallam County will register voters at Goodwill stores in Sequim and Port Angeles.
• Clark County is cosponsoring an all-day voter registration event with the Associated Students of Washington State University at Vancouver.
  
• Kitsap County will register voters on the ferry and at forums cosponsored with the Silverdale Library.
• Seattle/King County is working with other local Leagues to register voters for the Seattle Children's Hospital. They will be at other events at local libraries and colleges as well as six transitional housing sites for women.
  
• Snohomish County is working with Common Power to hold events in eleven Goodwill stores throughout the five-county region of Evergreen Goodwill, with local Leagues in these areas joining in.
  
• Thurston County is working with other local Leagues to be at Seattle Children's in Olympia on September 16. They will be in classrooms on the 17th.
• Skagit County will be working at Goodwill locations to register voters on September 17. They are also working with libraries and Skagit Valley College to focus more on voter resources and education.
  

Wow. That's a lot! Many thanks to everyone working so hard to make sure every eligible voter is ready to cast an informed ballot by November 5.

 Best regards,

Mary Coltrane, LWVWA President

Well—that was unexpected. A change at the top of the ticket in the presidential race turns out to be big news. But what does it mean for the League of Women Voters? This is what I was asked earlier this week. My answer: we must work harder than ever to take advantage of the attention this draws to the November ballot.

We in the League know that there are many, many important races that will be decided—in the August 6 primary and the November 5th election. We also know that voter turnout is greatest when there's a presidential election at the top of the ballot. We want to take advantage of this opportunity to bring voters into the body politic and find a home for getting the information they need to cast an informed ballot. Every League member and friend can help. Here are resources for you, your friends and family. Please help get the word out!

Vote411
Vote411.org is League's personalized voter guide. The ballot can be overwhelming. Voters enter their home address—no matter their physical location—and see who is on their ballot. They will see a job description for each race. There is voting information with important deadlines. Voters hear directly from candidates; they answer questions in their own words. League volunteers reached out to the over 600 candidates running for positions in Washington state. Just under 300 have responded. And VOTE411 is a national platform. While not all states cover every race, each state has much good information on VOTE411. If you have friends and family elsewhere, let them know! Vote411 is a trusted source and a great way to get an overview of voting decisions.

Candidate Forums
When people think of the League of Women Voters, many think of candidate forums and registering voters. Here in Washington state, at both the state and local level, League volunteers are hosting candidate forums. The state League website, LWVWA.org, has links to all of the statewide forums: Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Public Lands—and more to come. Leagues do these forums very well. With guidance from LWVUS, our forums and debates have improved and become more recognized. Fun fact: at the recent Commissioner for Public Lands forum, we learned from the candidates that the League forum is the only one they had been to where all candidates were present. Many thanks to Shelley Kneip for her excellent work in making this happen!

Many local forums for congressional and legislative seats are also in the works. Check your local League website to find out what's going on. You will be amazed at the many opportunities for voters to connected with the people who seek to represent them.

Initiatives
Three statewide initiatives will appear on the November ballot:

• I-2109—Repeal the capital gains excise tax imposed on long-term capital assets by individuals with capital gains over $250,000.
• I-2117—Prohibit carbon tax credit trading and repeal provisions of the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a state law that provided for a cap and invest program designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 95% by 2050.
• I-2124—Allow employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of the state's long-term services and supports trust health care program.

The League is approaching these initiatives from two angles. From an advocacy angle: LWVWA Board of Directors has taken a position against all of these initiatives. There will be articles about them in upcoming editions of the Evergreen Voter and the member newsletter, In League. The articles will discuss the League position and why we urge voters to reject them. Our positions on the initiatives are based on the positions League arrived at after study and member consensus and rest on member understanding.

At the same time, League has a duty to serve voters and provide them with the information they need to cast an informed ballot. How do we navigate this dual role? First and foremost, it's important to know which effort is at play. LWV of the United States has provided guidance. Check here for specific information.

In its Voter Services role, LWVWA is working to prepare simplified ballot summaries of the initiatives. These one-pagers provide a quick overview of each initiative, including pros and cons. Look for these later in the summer/early fall. If capacity allows, they will be printed in other languages.

Social Media
Social media is a great way to educate the public about elections and tools for becoming an informed voter. Please follow LWVWA social media, as well as other Leagues including your local League and the national League. This helps promote our voter resources, and is a lot of fun!

Voter Registration
Many local Leagues are tabling at events in their communities. More than voter registration, tabling provides an opportunity to reach out directly to voters and offer tools and resources so they can cast an informed electorate. Please check your local League's website to learn more about events, and how you can help.

LWVUS Statement
What about the change at the top of the Democratic Party's ticket. Yes—it means increased attention to the election. The League is nonpartisan, so how things play out with respect to candidates is not in our wheelhouse. Election rules and free and fair elections are. Please take a look at the LWVUS statement. You will see reference there to National Task Force on Election Crises. LWVUS is a member. You may want to bookmark this site to keep abreast of developments. You can also keep informed by checking the LWVUS' blog post on the topic.

President Biden Withdraws from Reelection | League of Women Voters (lwv.org)

Kind Regards,

Mary C

The LWVWA, along with local Leagues across the state, have been working hard to get the League's one-stop-election-shop updated for the 2024 Primary Election. We are pleased to announce that Vote411.org is now live with updated information! Vote411 is a personalized voter guide that is available to voters across the country. Information for all of the races in Washington state are included.

July 19 was the start of the 18-day voting period in Washington state and voters should return their ballots (either by mail or in an official ballot drop box) by 8PM on August 6.

League volunteers across the state reached out to 687 candidates in Washington with a questionnaire crafted to help voters get the information they need to fill out their ballots. The candidates' answers to these questionnaires are in their own words and available to be viewed by voters on Vote411. Each race also includes a job description so voters can see the responsibilities that come with the position these candidates are vying for. More general voting information—like deadlines, registration options, and more—are also available at Vote411.org.

Voters simply need to enter their address to instantly learn which races will be on their ballot, to view the candidates in each race, and to compare how candidates answered the questions posed to them by the LWVWA. League volunteers will continue to update responses from candidates as they come in. Candidates who have not already done so are encouraged to complete and submit the League's questionnaire.

A version of Vote411 translated into Spanish is also available at https://www.vote411.org/es.

This month we're bringing you another essay by a writer with lived experience of the criminal legal system. In an article titled "When My Son Was Arrested for Trying to Join ISIS, I Knew the Deeper Culprit," incarcerated journalist Raymond Williams describes the pain of being in prison while learning that his son, Hunter, had just been arrested. No parent wishes to hear that their child has been arrested. But such news is especially hard when you hear it from a prison cell.

Raymond takes the reader along the course of his life, giving an analysis of how incarceration reduces the life chances of children living with incarcerated parents. He describes the impact of labeling theory—a theory that notes how children adapt, often taking on the identities and behaviors presented by the adults around them—as a mechanism pushing some children towards prison.

This article challenges the notions and ideologies assuming people in prison cannot, or should not, have a relationship with their children. Raymond points out that the child and incarcerated parent are left without recourse when the free parent wishes to keep the child from the incarcerated parent. This article points out that a lack of process—or access—to legal recourse does not allow for the interests of the child to fairly be considered.

As Raymond describes, keeping a parent from a child due to incarceration can have devastating impacts. In this instance, it led to Hunter trying to join ISIS, and Raymond crying in his cell.

Raymond has also shared a bonus long-form piece with us. "In Washington State, Prison Closure Divides Abolitionist Community" describes the debate within the prison abolition community over the closing of the Washington state reformatory.

Raymond Williams, 44, is an incarcerated journalist sentenced to death by prison under the Washington 3-strikes law. He is a leader in the Concerned Lifers' Organization. Raymond is a Marvel Cooke fellow with writing featured in Slate, Jewish Currents, and the Seattle Times. Follow him @raywilliams80, or email him directly through securustech.net (Raymond Williams #767974, Washington Corrections Center).

The 2024 Election is on November 5—that may seem like it's far off, but it'll be here before we know it!

The League of Women Voters of Washington, as well as local Leagues across the state, have been (and will continue to be) holding candidate forums and other opportunities for voters to hear directly from the candidates on their ballots. Local Leagues are also hard at work updating Vote411.org, a comprehensive one-stop-shop for aiding voters in everything from registering to vote to providing the info they need to cast an informed, empowered ballot.

The rest of this article will be a collection of candidate forums and other voter resources to help you get prepared for the November Election.

Check back often, as these resources will continue to be updated!

The LWVWA Has Taken a Position in Opposition to All Four Ballot Measures—learn more about why we're asking voters to vote 'NO' on these initiatives.

Learn more here.

View the recordings of previous LWVWA candidate forums:

• Commissioner of Public Lands Candidate Forum
• WA Secretary of State Candidate Forum
• Superintendent of Public Instruction (recording coming soon!)
  
• PRIMARY: Commissioner of Public Lands Candidate Forum
  
• PRIMARY: WA Attorney General
• PRIMARY: WA Superintendent of Public Instruction

View a calendar with the currently scheduled local League candidate forums here.*
*Check back often as this page is updated!

To check in with a specific local League to see their forums and other resources for voters, click on the local League below:

• Bellingham/Whatcom County
• Benton/Franklin Counties
• Clallam County
• Clark County
  
• Jefferson County Unit-at-Large
  
• Kitsap County
  
• Kittitas County
  
• Klickitat/Skamania Unit-at-Large
  
• Mason County
  
• Pullman Area
  
• San Juans
  
• Seattle/King County
  
• Snohomish County
  
• Spokane Area
  
• Tacoma/Pierce County
  
• Thurston County
  
• Whidbey Island
  
• Yakima County