Washington Age Requirements for Purchasing a Firearm Initiative (2018)
| Washington Age Requirements for Purchasing a Firearm Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Firearms | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Washington Age Requirements for Purchasing a Firearm Initiative (#1637) was not on the ballot in Washington as an Initiative to the People, a type of initiated state statute, on November 6, 2018.
This measure would have raised the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic firearm from 18 to 21 years of age.[1] [2]
Text of measure
The ballot title for this initiative is below:[2]
| “ |
Initiative Measure No. 1637 concerns firearms. This measure would make it a crime for a person under age 21 to possess a firearm, with exceptions for authorized possession in certain activities and locations and for possession by emancipated minors. Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ] [3] |
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this initiative is below:[2]
| “ |
This measure would make it a crime for a person under age 21 to possess a firearm, unless the person is participating in certain authorized activities or is an emancipated minor. Authorized firearm activities for persons under age 21 include participating in firearm safety courses, target practice at authorized ranges, organized firearm competitions, licensed hunting, certain supervised firearm practice, active-duty military service, and possession under certain circumstances with the permission of a parent or guardian. [3] |
” |
Full text
- The full text of the initiative is available here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify a directly initiated state statute—called an Initiative to the People in Washington—for the ballot is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Initial filings for direct initiatives cannot be made more than 10 months before the general election at which their proposal would be presented to voters. Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the general election.
The requirements to get an Initiative to the People certified for the 2018 ballot:
- Signatures: 259,622 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 6, 2018.
The secretary of state verifies the signatures using a random sample method. If the sample indicates that the measure has sufficient signatures, the measure is certified for the ballot. However, if the sample indicates that the measure has insufficient signatures, every signature is checked. Under Washington law, a random sample result may not invalidate a petition.
Details about this initiative
- Matt Mentele submitted this initiative on April 12, 2018.[2]
- Proponents of the initiative did not submit signatures to the secretary of state's office by the July 6, 2018, deadline and the measure was not put on the ballot.[4][2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington secretary of state, "Initiative #1637 Text," accessed January 24, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Washington secretary of state, "Proposed Initiatives to the People - 2018," accessed January 24, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia Staff Writer, Email communication with Lydia Plukchi of the Washington Secretary of State's office, July 9, 2018.
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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