elections Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

What if voting were not just a right, but a legally required duty?

By Tom Banse January 26, 2023

Voting in federal elections has been compulsory in Australia for the past 99 years. Australia is frequently held up as a model by supporters of universal voting

Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states. Continue Reading What if voting Read More

Ballot drop box observers seen monitoring voters in the Tri-Cities

By Courtney Flatt November 4, 2022

More eyes are on ballots in the Tri-Cities area this election, according to reports from the Benton County auditor. Continue Reading Ballot drop box observers seen monitoring voters in the Tri-CitiesRead More

No labels: Some election overseers want to make their offices nonpartisan to inspire greater trust

By Tom Banse October 13, 2022

Unaffiliated candidate Julie Anderson is challenging incumbent Democrat Steve Hobbs in the race for Washington Secretary of State

Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That's one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State. Continue Reading No labels: Some Read More

Partisan Election Officials, or Non?

By Tom Banse October 12, 2022

Should the top elections official in Washington state officially be a nonpartisan? That’s one difference between the top two finalists running for Washington Secretary of State. Continue Reading Partisan Election Officials, or Non?Read More

Independent candidates test how fed up Northwest voters are with both parties

By Tom Banse October 11, 2022

Independent challenger for state Senate Chris Vance said he goes doorbelling up to six days per week, here in Auburn, Washington

A quartet of independent candidates on the ballot this November in Oregon and Washington state will test voter appetites for a centrist “third way.” They are experienced contenders running for state senate, Oregon governor and Washington Secretary of State. Unaffiliated candidates are popping up around the nation too, with a common theme of being fed up with a divisive Read More

Can A Candidate Who Loses In The Primary Be A Write-In For The General Election?

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour August 12, 2022

Photo by Phil Scroggs on Unsplash Listen (Runtime 1:49) Read The primary election in Washington will be certified on August 16th and many races are still very close. Is it… Continue Reading Can A Candidate Who Loses In The Read More

Hobbs, Anderson Lead In WA Secretary Of State’s Race

By Austin Jenkins August 4, 2022

In early ballot returns, Democrat Steve Hobbs was leading the state's top two primary for Secretary of State with 41 percent of the vote. In second place was Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson.

Democratic incumbent Steve Hobbs and independent challenger Julie Anderson were leading Washington’s top two primary for Secretary of State after the initial ballot count Tuesday night. Republican Bob Hagglund, who has never held public office, was in a close third place. Read More

Despite Early Attacks By Republicans, Incumbent Democrats Fared Better Than Expected In WA Legislative Races

By Austin Jenkins August 4, 2022

Majority Democrats in the Washington Legislature performed better in the August 2 primary than Republicans, and even they, thought they would. Early returns showed incumbent Democrats generally polling above 50 percent in key swing districts.

Washington legislative Republicans were taking stock Wednesday of their less than dazzling performance in the initial returns of the August primary. Continue Reading Despite Early Attacks By Read More

Allegations of Election Fraud By Congressional Candidates

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour August 2, 2022

A newsroom in Yakima was preparing for election night coverage and running tests of their system when it went live. Now two 4th Congressional Candidates in Eastern Washington have filed complaints. Continue Reading Allegations of Election Fraud By Read More

The Challenges Of Getting More Latinos Voting In The Primaries

By Johanna Bejarano August 1, 2022

Washington State Official Ballot. Listen (Runtime 1:20) Read Latino participation in this primary election is a challenge for organizations in the Yakima Valley. With just a few hours to go,… Continue Reading The Challenges Of Getting More Read More

Paid Ballot Observers In Benton County

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour July 28, 2022

The Benton County Auditor is testing a new paid ballot observer program this year using members of partisan and nonpartisan organizations. Continue Reading Paid Ballot Observers In Benton CountyRead More

Washington Primary Will Winnow Large Field For Secretary Of State

By Austin Jenkins July 19, 2022

Some candidates for Washington Secretary of State want to return to poll-based voting, or at least offer it as an option in addition to vote by mail.

For nearly six decades, Republicans held Washington's top election post — Secretary of State. That streak ended last November when Kim Wyman resigned to take an election security post with the Biden administration, and Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs to the post. Read More

What’s What: Themes And Faces In American Politics – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 30 – With Political Commentator Chris Matthews

By Mindy Malone July 19, 2022

Chris Matthews sits in front of a microphone. He is smiling and holding a mug.

Photo of Chris Matthews recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on April 20, 2022. Chris Matthews, a self-described centrist, spent his lifetime in politics. A speechwriter during the Carter… Continue Reading What’s Read More

Pasco Citizens Questioned Candidates For The 4th Congressional District

By Johanna Bejarano July 12, 2022

Evento "Poder en Comunidad" en Pasco, WA

Pasco residents gathered at the Tierra Vida Community Center to hear from the candidates for the 4th Congressional District. Benancio Garcia (R), Jacek Kobiesa (R) and Doug White (D) answered… Continue Reading Pasco Citizens Read More

WA Secretary Of State On Cyber Threats And Cyber Security

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour June 30, 2022

Franklin County Auditor Matt Beaton, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton Listen (Runtime 2:42) Read Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is calling attention to election… Continue Reading WA Secretary Of Read More

Vote Fraud Conspiracy Theories Driving Some Candidates For Elections Offices In WA, Elsewhere

By Austin Jenkins June 22, 2022

Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire, left, faces Republican challenger Steve Duenkel this year. Duenkel is running on an 'election integrity' platform.

Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire has spent nearly two decades helping run elections, including stints as Oregon deputy secretary of state and at the Department of Defense, ensuring military service members overseas could vote. Read More

Preocupación por la baja participación electoral de los latinos en WA

By Johanna Bejarano March 29, 2022

A colored map of Yakima's voting districts.

La preocupación por la redistribución de los distritos en el Valle de Yakima puede verse eclipsada por la la baja participación electoral de los latinos. Listen Johanna Bejarano, del NWPB,… Continue Reading Preocupación por la baja Read More

Concerns About Low Voter Turnout Amongst Latinos in Washington State

By Johanna Bejarano March 29, 2022

Concerns about redistricting in the Yakima Valley may be overshadowed by concerns over low voter turnout amongst Latinos Listen NWPB’s Johanna Bejarano reports on concerns about low voter turnout amongst… Continue Reading Read More

LULAC Reacts to Latino Ballot Rejections

By Johanna Bejarano March 24, 2022

Ballots are processed at the King County Elections headquarters in Renton for Washington state’s presidential primary election on March 10, 2020. Elections workers were required to wear gloves at the time to due to COVID-19, but that was well before the masks were in use in non-medical settings. CREDIT: Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut

Concerns are being raised about the number of ballots from Latino voters being rejected during elections in Washington State / CREDIT: Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut Listen NWPB’s Johanna Bejarano reports on reaction to… Continue Reading LULAC Reacts to Latino Read More

Concerns Over Latino Ballots Being Rejected In Washington State Elections

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour March 23, 2022

Concerns are being raised about the number of ballots from Latino voters being rejected during elections in Washington State / CREDIT: Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut Listen NWPB’s Dori Luzzo Gilmour reports on… Continue Reading Read More

County Election Auditor Battles Ongoing Accusations Of Voting Fraud

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour March 21, 2022

Electioneers greet voters outside the Hamilton County Government Center

Election officials continue to battle false accusations of voting fraud / AP Listen NWPB’s Dori Luzzo Gilmour reports on one election official who continues to battle false accusations of voter… Continue Reading County Election Read More

Washington State Redistricting Commission Chair Resigns

By Johanna Bejarano March 7, 2022

Voting districts around Yakima and the Columbian Basin. Image Credit: WA Redistricting Commission. Listen Read The Washington State Redistricting Commission won’t intervene in a Voting Rights Act Lawsuit that challenges… Continue Reading Read More

Inslee’s Bill To Criminalize Lying About Elections Appears Dead

By Austin Jenkins February 16, 2022

In January, Gov. Jay Inslee took the unusual step of testifying in a legislative committee in favor of a bill he requested to make it a crime for elected officials and candidates for office to incite lawlessness by making false statements about elections. That bill failed to clear the Washington Senate before a key cut-off deadline on February 15.

A measure backed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee that would have made it a crime for elected officials and candidates for office to incite lawlessness by making false statements about elections appears to have died in the state Legislature. Continue Read More

As Red States Impose New Restrictions On Voting, Blue Washington Presses Ahead With Expansions

By Austin Jenkins February 3, 2022

Majority Democrats in the Washington Legislature are considering ways to expand access to voting as voting-rights legislation is stalled in Congress and many Republican-led states impose new restrictions.

As the 2022 midterm elections loom, a partisan battle over access to the ballot box continues to be fought in Congress and in state legislatures across the country. Red states are passing new restrictions, while many blue states are making voting more accessible. That includes Washington. Read More

Are Washington Republicans About To Lose Their Nearly 60-Year Lock On The Secretary Of State’s Office?

By Austin Jenkins October 28, 2021

Potential candidates to replace Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman are already stepping forward after Wyman, a Republican, announced she will resign next month to take an election security position with the Biden administration. Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, will appoint Wyman's replacement. That could spell the end of a nearly six decades Republican lock on the Read More

Georgia Governor Signs Election Overhaul, Including Changes To Absentee Voting

By NPR News March 25, 2021

Voters stand in line to cast their ballots during the first day of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoffs at Lenora Park in Atlanta in December 2020. CREDIT: Tami Chappell/AFP via Getty Images

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed a massive overhaul of election laws, shortly after the Republican-controlled state legislature approved it. The bill enacts new limitations on mail-in voting, expands most voters' access to in-person early voting and caps a months-long battle over voting in a battleground state. Read More

6-Month Delay In Census Redistricting Data Could Complicate 2022 Mid-Term Elections

By NPR News February 13, 2021

A census supporter holds up a sign during a 2020 rally in New York City. CREDIT: Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Sipa USA via Reuters

Dogged by the coronavirus pandemic and the Trump administration's interference with the census schedule, the latest expected release date — six months past the March 31 legal deadline — could throw upcoming elections into chaos in states facing tight redistricting deadlines for Congress, as well as state and local offices. Read More

Elections Officials Say There’s No Evidence Washington State Systems Have Been Compromised

By Austin Jenkins October 23, 2020

A person drops off a ballot for Washington state's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, at a collection box at the King County Administration Building in Seattle. CREDIT: Ted S. Warren/AP

State and local election officials in Washington said Thursday that election systems here are secure and haven’t been hacked. Those assurances follow multiple reports in recent days of efforts by foreign actors to interfere with the upcoming national election. Read More

With Elections Under The Microscope, Washington Has A Fierce Race For Secretary Of State

By Austin Jenkins October 16, 2020

Republican Kim Wyman, left, is seeking a third term as Washington Secretary of State. Democratic challenger Gael Tarleton is seeking to unseat Wyman.

For more than half a century, Republicans have had a lock on Washington’s Secretary of State’s office. This year, Democrats hope to end that five decade run by unseating incumbent Kim Wyman who’s seeking a third term. Continue Read More

New Research Suggests In-Person Voting May Be Less Risky Than Previously Thought

By NPR News August 22, 2020

A man checks to cast his ballot in Kenosha, Wis., on April 7. A new study suggests that in-person voting in that Wisconsin primary did not produce a surge of new coronavirus cases. CREDIT: Kamil Krzaczynski /AFP via Getty Images

The report concludes Wisconsin voters who braved the pandemic and went to the polls in April did not see a surge in COVID-19 infections, although another study reaches the opposite conclusion. Continue Reading New Research Read More

A Dog Days Of Summer Primary And A Ton Of Candidates: Guide To Washington’s Statewide Races

By Austin Jenkins July 15, 2020

Washington's August 4 primary ballot is chock full of candidates even though traditional campaigning has, in many cases, been put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Washington Secretary of State's Office

Washington’s typically sleepy August primary will test the endurance of voters as they navigate a larger-than-usual crop of candidates. The robust turnout of would-be officeholders may be, at least partially, the result of the state making it easier to qualify for the ballot in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Read More

Supreme Court Upholds Laws Punishing ‘Faithless Electors’ In Case Involving Washington Voter

By NPR News July 6, 2020

The federal Supreme Court will decide whether Electoral College delegates are required to support the presidential candidate who wins their state.

Monday's decision brought a sigh of relief from election experts, who worried that if Electoral College delegates were free to vote as they chose, the 2020 election would have turned into a free-for-all, with no rules to prevent corruption and manipulation, with delegates offered gifts and even cash for their votes, and blackmail also a possibility. Read More

President Trump Repeats Unfounded Claims About Mail-In Voting, Threatens Funding To 2 States

By NPR News May 20, 2020

People stand in line at a Detroit polling place during Michigan's March 10 presidential primary. Because of the pandemic, the state's top election official is sending absentee ballot applications to every registered voter for August and November elections.

Elections are run by state and local governments, and it's unclear what legal means the president would have to withhold funds from the states. Continue Reading President Trump Repeats Unfounded Claims About Mail-In Read More

Washington, Idaho And 4 Other States Vote: Your Guide To ‘Big Tuesday’

By NPR News March 9, 2020

The 2020 Washington presidential primary ballot requires voters to select a party, which is new, and many people don't care for it. CREDIT: Scott Leadingham/NWPB

Tuesday's contests offer 352 delegates among six states. Michigan is the biggest prize, and it could be another pivot point in this Democratic primary. Continue Reading Washington, Idaho And 4 Other States Vote: Your Guide To ‘Big Read More

UPDATE: Latinx People Make Up Half of Yakima. The City Council May End Up With No Latinx Members

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa November 7, 2019

The only Latina candidate running for Yakima City Council appears to have lost her bid. That means Yakima -- the population of which is nearly 50 percent Latinx -- will likely be governed by an all-white council for the first time since 2015. Read More

Experts Warn: Threats To 2020 U.S. Election Not Limited To Russia

By NWPB News October 30, 2019

People cast their ballots for the 2016 general elections at a crowded polling station as early voting begins in North Carolina, in Carrboro, North Carolina, in 2016. CREDIT: Jonathan Frank/Reuters

U.S. intelligence agencies reported Russian, Chinese and Iranian influence activities targeting last year’s midterms, and a senior FBI official last week singled out Beijing as a particular source of concern. Continue Reading Experts Warn: Read More

Will A Massive Effort To Secure The 2020 Vote End Up Superfluous Or Not Enough?

By NPR News September 8, 2019

Officials at every level say they're changing their approaches to election security as the presidential race comes into view. One challenge, though, is not knowing exactly how to prepare. Continue Reading Will A Massive Effort To Read More

Washington’s Changed Presidential Primary Means New Strategy For Candidates Like Bernie Sanders

By NWPB News July 22, 2019

Organizers for Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign have updated their efforts in Washington, one of a growing number of states switching from caucuses to primary elections for selecting presidential candidates. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Bernie Sanders easily won the 2016 Washington caucus against Hillary Clinton, but the state's shift to a primary presents a challenge for his campaign: converting the passionate caucus support he enjoyed in the last election to broader turnout in 2020. Read More

Washington Election Officials Sound Alarm Over New Voter Registration System

By Austin Jenkins July 11, 2019

If Washington voters don't mail in ballots, they can return them in person to drop boxes like this one at the Yakima County Elections Office. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

County election officials in Washington are warning that a new statewide voter registration database system is not ready for the state's August 6 primary and could result in some voters getting incorrect ballots or no ballot at all. The concerns reached a crescendo on Tuesday at a work session of the Washington Senate's State Government, Tribal Relations and Elections Read More

Washington 5th District Race Draws Criticism For McMorris Rodgers Ads

By Zachary Garner July 28, 2018

The campaign of Cathy McMorris Rodgers sent this and similar ads to Washington 5th Congressional District voters ahead of the Aug. 7, 2018 primary.

The race for U.S. House in eastern Washington has taken a negative turn. Despite criticism, 5th District Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers has doubled down on a controversial ad campaign attacking her Democratic opponent, Lisa Brown, using information proven to be misleading and false. Read More

‘Seattle Post’? Not A Thing. Russia Sought To Exploit Trust In Local News During 2016 Campaign

By NPR News July 12, 2018

Russia's information attack against the United States during the 2016 election cycle sought to take advantage of the greater trust that Americans tend to place in local news. The information operatives who worked out of the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg did not stop at posing as American social media users or spreading false information from purported news Read More

Record Number Of Native Americans Running For State And Federal Offices In 2018

By NPR News July 4, 2018

Deb Haaland worked on President Obama's 2008 campaign before chairing New Mexico's Democratic Party. Now she's running for office with a record number of other Native Americans across the country.

In Oklahoma, there is a race between two Native American candidates, one a Democrat and the other a Republican. As for statewide offices, there are more Native Americans running for lieutenant governor alone, six candidates, than the number who ran for statewide offices across the country in 2016. Read More

Oregonians Deliver Loads Of Comments About Proposed Weapons Ban

By Dirk VanderHart May 10, 2018

File photo of a modified civilian legal AR-15. CREDIT: ZGAUTHIER - TINYURL.COM/Y7PYGKCZ

In what is likely a record, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office in recent weeks fielded nearly 1,600 pages of comments criticizing a ballot title for Initiative Petition 43. Continue Reading Oregonians Deliver Loads Of Comments About Proposed Read More

U.S. Voting System Remains Vulnerable 6 Months Before Election Day. What Now?

By NPR News May 8, 2018

Officials have their eyes open to the threats in a way they didn't in 2016, but they are limited by a lack of time and resources. Continue Reading U.S. Voting System Remains Vulnerable 6 Months Before Election Day. What Now?Read More

Russian Threat To U.S. Elections To Persist Through 2018, Intel Boss Warns Congress

By NPR News February 13, 2018

Moscow's interference in the United States and the West has continued since 2016 and is forecast to persist through this year's midterm races, the U.S. intelligence community says. Continue Reading Russian Threat To U.S. Elections To Persist Read More

Washington State Tells DOJ Voter Rolls Are ‘Accurate’  

By Austin Jenkins July 31, 2017

FIle photo. Washington state’s director of elections has responded to President Donald Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity. PHYLLIS FLETCHER / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK Listen Washington state’s voter rolls are “accurate,”… Continue Read More

Gingrich Attracts North Idaho Voters Still On The Fence

By Sueann Ramella February 24, 2012

Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista attended a campaign rally in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Thursday evening. PHOTO CREDIT: JESSICA ROBINSON / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Newt… Continue Reading Gingrich Attracts North Idaho Read More