Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 2008 NO. 7 >

1.         The board of county commissioners is required to canvass petitions seeking to remove the county seat; the board may not delegate the discretionary elements of the canvassing process.  2.         Canvassing of signatures on a petition to remove the county seat by the board of county commissioners is action that must be taken at a properly called meeting as set forth in the Open Public Meetings Act.  3.         There is no statutory limit on the amount of time that may elapse between the date that a petition to remove a county seat is signed and the date when the petition is submitted to the county legislative authority.  4.         Signatures on a petition to remove the county seat may be withdrawn, and serial petitions adding signatures may be submitted, prior to the statutory deadline for filing any removal petition.

AGLO 1973 NO. 75 >

A school district, acting through its board of directors, may sign a petition for the formation of a utility local improvement district under RCW 36.94.230, or sign a protest petition against the formation of such a district under RCW 36.94.240.

AGO 1953 NO. 152 >

An election petition requesting the calling of a special election for the purpose of annexing a portion of a city or town becomes a public record when filed with the city clerk.