Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1973 NO. 14 >

Elections to which Initiative No. 276 is applicable; meaning of terms; restrictions upon anonymous contributions; reporting requirements for candidates and political committees; reporting requirements for commercial advertisers; procedures for obtaining relief from reporting requirements; use of public facilities in electoral campaigns.

AGLO 1976 NO. 14 >

Constitutionality of the use of state funds to finance election campaigns; constitutional ability of the legislature to restrict campaign contributions so that persons might only contribute to a candidate if they are residents of the district which that candidate will represent if elected.

AGO 1977 NO. 15 >

(1) If a vacancy occurs in a partisan county or legislative office prior to the state general election which is to be held on November 8, 1977, an election will then be required for the remainder of the unexpired term regardless of whether or not the vacancy is initially filled by appointment.  (2) If such a vacancy occurs on or before the last Friday in July of 1977, filings should be accepted pursuant to RCW 29.18.030 and the election should be conducted accordingly in the usual manner.  (3) If such a vacancy occurs after the last Friday in July of 1977, but on or before the first Friday in August, nominations and filings may be made by the political parties under RCW 29.18.150.  (4) If, however, the vacancy does not occur until after the first Friday in August, 1977, the only method for conducting the election will be on a write‑in basis since RCW 29.21.350-29.21.410 only pertain to elections for nonpartisan offices.

AGO 1980 NO. 16 >

The new superior court judgeships created by chapter 202, Laws of 1979, 1st Ex. Sess. in Pierce, Kitsap and Cowlitz Counties, which are to take effect on January 1, 1981, are not to be filled initially by gubernatorial appointment but, instead, are constitutionally required to be filled by the election process both (a) for the short term from January 1 through 12, 1981 and (b) for the regular four-year term commencing on January 12, 1981.

AGO 1974 NO. 16 >

A candidate for elective office who is required to pay a filing fee under RCW 29.18.050 must treat that fee as an expenditure under the campaign expenditure reporting requirements of Initiative No. 276.

AGLO 1975 NO. 18 >

A community college district may not adopt a regulation under which those academic employees working full time would each be allocated one full vote, those employed two-thirds of full time would be allotted two-thirds of a vote, and those employed less than two-thirds of full time would be allocated one‑third of a vote in the election of their recognized bargaining representative under chapter 28B.52 RCW.

AGO 1970 NO. 18 >

The recent enactment by Congress of an amendment to the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 which is designed to establish a nation-wide minimum voting age of 18 years for all primary or general elections held after January 1, 1970, affords no basis in law for removing the proposed state constitutional amendment which is contained in H.J.R. No. 6 from the forthcoming November, 1970 state general election ballot.

AGO 1967 NO. 18 >

A newly incorporated city or town, which has been incorporated pursuant to an election held under the provisions of chapter 35.02 RCW is not liable to the county in which it is located for the costs of the incorporation election.

AGO 1971 NO. 18 >

(1) Section 4, chapter 202, Laws of 1971, Ex. Sess., requires each incorporated city or town located in a particular county to pay a proportionate share of the county's expenses of maintenance of voter registration records.(2) Maintenance expenses of such voter registration records may include equipment (such as filing cabinets, etc.) as well as clerical expenses and the costs of supplies.

AGO 1992 NO. 19 >

RCW 87.03.051 governs voter eligibility in irrigation districts of less than 200,000 acres.  Any property holder in the district whose land is subject to assessment for any reason is entitled to vote in district elections, even if the property is not currently being assessed for irrigation district purposes.