Washington Referendum 90, Sex Education in Public Schools Measure (2020)
Washington Referendum 90 | |
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Election date November 3, 2020 | |
Topic Education | |
Status | |
Type Referendum | Origin Citizens |
Washington Referendum 90, the Sex Education in Public Schools Measure, was on the ballot in Washington as a veto referendum on November 3, 2020. It was approved and Senate Bill 5395 was maintained.
A vote to approve Referendum 90 supported allowing Senate Bill 5395 to take effect, thereby requiring public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education for all students and requiring students to be excused if requested by their parents. |
A vote to reject Referendum 90 opposed allowing Senate Bill 5395 to take effect, thereby not requiring that public schools provide comprehensive sexual health education to all students. |
Election results
Washington Referendum 90 |
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Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
2,283,630 | 57.82% | |||
No | 1,665,906 | 42.18% |
Reactions
The following is a list of reactions to the approval of Referendum 90:
- Courtney Normand, Washington state director of Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, said, "It tells us that the majority of Washingtonians are showing really resounding support for comprehensive sex education and that is really, really good news for Washington’s young people."[1]
- Informed Parents of Washington, who advocated for a no vote on the referendum, said, "We may have lost this battle, but there is still a war raging and our children and parental rights are at stake. Informed Parents isn’t going anywhere. We’re still in the fight- it’s too important. A new session will be starting shortly, and we will be there, hopefully joined by you all, as we battle bureaucrats for the sake of our children, because they need us to be their voice. We have several plans in the works...stay tuned!!"[2]
Overview
What did the referendum do?
The Washington State Legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 5395 (SB 5395) in March 2020. Opponents of the bill collected signatures to place SB 5395 on the ballot as Referendum 90 advocated for a reject vote on the referendum. A vote to reject this referendum was a vote to repeal Senate Bill 5395, which was designed to require comprehensive sexual health education in public schools. A vote to approve the referendum was a vote to allow SB 5395 to go into effect. The bill was on hold pending the result of the election.[3]
What did Senate Bill 5395 do?
- See also: Measure design
Senate Bill 5395 was designed to require public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education to students in grades 6-12 beginning in the 2021-22 school year and for all public school students, including those in grades K-5, beginning in the 2022-23 school year. Under the bill, the curriculum has to include instruction and information regarding affirmative consent and bystander training. Instruction needs to be provided at least once to students in grades K-3, once to students in grades 4-5, twice to students in grades 6-8, and twice to students in grades 9-12. The text of the measure stated that sexual health education under the measure is not required to be integrated into unrelated subjects or courses. For students in grades K-3, the material was designed to be instruction in social and emotional learning (SEL). Social and emotional learning is defined by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as "a process through which individuals build awareness and skills in managing emotions, setting goals, establishing relationships, and making responsible decisions that support success in school and in life."[4]
Schools are required under the bill to notify parents that they are providing comprehensive sexual health education and make all course materials accessible to the parents. Parents can file a written request with the school district or the school's principal to excuse their child from sexual health education instruction, which must be granted if requested.[4]
What sexual health education was required in Washington public schools going into the election?
Going into the election, instruction about HIV and AIDS prevention was required to be taught by public schools beginning in 5th grade and occurring annually through 12th grade. This requirement was adopted in 1988 under the Washington AIDS Omnibus Act. Local school boards can choose to provide additional sexual health education, which must be medically and scientifically accurate according to the Healthy Youth Act of 2007. In 2013, the state legislature required public schools that were offering sexual health education to include information about sex offense laws, including "age-appropriate information about the legal elements of sexual [sex] offenses where a minor is a victim and the consequences upon conviction."[5][6]
Measure design
Senate Bill 5395 was designed to require public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education to students in grades 6-12 beginning in the 2021-22 school year and for all public school students beginning in the 2022-23 school year. Click on the blue links below to expand the sections.
Comprehensive sexual health education (CSHE): CSHE standards, guidelines, and curriculums
Comprehensive sexual health education
Under SB 5395, comprehensive sexual health education means "recurring instruction in human development and reproduction that is age-appropriate and inclusive of all students." Course materials needs to be medically and scientifically accurate, meaning the information has been verified or supported by scientific research, has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and is recognized as accurate by organizations such as the Washington State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.[4]
CSHE standards and guidelines
Sexual health education needs to be consistent with the Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards and the January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention.[7]
Curriculums developed by OSPI
Under SB 5395, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Washington Department of Health would develop a list of comprehensive sexual health education curricula that meets state standards. The list needs to be updated at least once per year and made be available on the OSPI and health department's websites. If a public school or school district chooses a curriculum that is not on the list developed by OSPI, the school or district needs consult with OSPI to ensure that the school's alternative chosen curriculum meets state standards using the OSPI's comprehensive sexual health education curriculum analysis tool.[4]
Required education for grades K-3: Social-emotional learning
Required education for grades 4-12: Sexual health education material for students in grades 4-12
“ |
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” |
Under Senate Bill 5395, affirmative consent is defined as "a conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity as a requirement before sexual activity."[4]
Sexual health education needs to be provided at least once to students in grades 4-5, twice to students in grades 6-8, and twice to students in grades 9-12.[4]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot summary was as follows:[12][13][14]
“ | The legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5395 concerning comprehensive sexual health education.
This bill would require school districts to adopt or develop, consistent with state standards, comprehensive age-appropriate sexual health education, as defined, for all students, and excuse students if their parents request. Should this bill be: [ ] Approved [ ] Rejected [11] |
” |
Explanatory statement
The explanatory statement for this measure provided in the 2020 voters' guide, written by the Office of the Attorney General, was as follows:[14]
|
Fiscal impact statement
The fiscal impact summary for this measure provided in the 2020 voters' guide, written by the Office of Financial Management, was as follows:[14]
“ | Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5395 was enacted in the 2020 legislative session, but has not gone into effect because the voters submitted petitions to refer the measure to the November 2020 general election ballot. If the voters approve the referendum, ESSB 5395 would go into effect. There would be no fiscal impact to state government in the 2019–21 biennium and ongoing. There would be a fiscal impact to local government (school districts), but the impact is indeterminate. There are no known state or local revenue impacts that would result from the passage of this measure. [11] | ” |
The full fiscal impact statement is available here.
Full text
The full text of Senate Bill 5395, which Referendum 90 was designed to repeal, is available here.
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020
Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The Washington Attorney General wrote the ballot language for this measure.
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Support to approve
Those who supported approving Referendum Measure 90 supported allowing Senate Bill 5395 to go into effect, thereby requiring comprehensive sexual health education in public schools.
Safe & Healthy Youth Washington Coalition led the campaign in support of approving Referendum 90. The group provided a full list of coalition members, which is available here.[15]
Supporters to approve Referendum 90
Officials
- Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D)
- Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra (D)
- Washington State Senator Bob Hasegawa (D)
- State Senator Marko Liias (D)
- State Representative Liz Lovelett (D)
- State Representative Jamie Pedersen (D)
- State Representative Emily Randall (D)
- Washington State Senator Christine Rolfes (D)
- State Senator Rebecca Saldana (D)
- State Representative Derek Stanford (D)
- State Senator Lisa Wellman (D)
- State Senator Claire Wilson (D)
- Washington State Representative Steve Bergquist (D)
- Washington State Representative Frank Chopp (D)
- State Representative Eileen Cody (D)
- State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D)
- Washington State Representative Roger Goodman (D)
- Washington State Representative Laurie Jinkins (D)
- State Representative Shelley Kloba (D)
- Washington State Representative Debra Lekanoff (D)
- State Representative Nicole Macri (D)
- State Representative Timm Ormsby (D)
- State Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self (D)
- Washington State Representative Eric Pettigrew (D)
- State Representative Gerry Pollet (D)
- State Representative Alex Ramel (D)
- Washington State Representative Marcus Riccelli (D)
- State Representative Cindy Ryu (D)
- Washington State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D)
- Washington State Representative Mike Sells (D)
- Washington State Representative Sharon Shewmake (D)
- State Representative Monica Jurado Stonier (D)
- State Representative Gael Tarleton (D)
- Washington State Representative Steve Tharinger (D)
- Washington State Representative Javier Valdez (D)
- Washington State Representative Amy Walen (D)
- State Representative Emily Wicks (D)
- State Representative Sharon Wylie (D)
Organizations
- ACLU of Washington
- Democracy for America
- Disability Rights Washington
- Gender Justice League
- Justice for Girls Coalition of Washington State
- King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
- League of Women Voters
- Legal Voice
- MomsRising
- NARAL Pro-Choice Washington
- Northwest Abortion Access Fund
- Northwest Progressive Institute
- Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii
- Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho
- Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands
- Sexual Violence Law Center
- Washington Education Association
- Washington State Association of School Psychologists
- Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Washington Student Association
Arguments
Official arguments
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The arguments in support of approving Referendum 90 in the 2020 voter guide were written by Nikki Otero Lockwood (parent, school board member); Kevin S. Wang, M.D., (medical director of Swedish’s LGBTQI+ Initiative); Leah Griffin (teacher librarian, Sexual Violence Law Center board); Jen Cole (parent, Partnerships for Action Voices for Empowerment); Peter Asante, M.D., WA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics); Nichole Johnson (parent, middle school teacher).
Support to reject
Those who supported rejecting Referendum Measure 90 sponsored the referendum and opposed allowing Senate Bill 5395 to go into effect. Supporters of a reject vote opposed requiring comprehensive sexual health education in public schools.
Supporters to reject Referendum 90
Parents for Safe Schools filed the referendum and led the campaign to reject the referendum. Parents for Safe Schools provided a list of supporters on their website, which was available here. Supporters include the following:[16]
Political Parties
Government Entities
- Clover Park School District School Board
- Mead School District School Board
- Chehalis School District Board of Directors
- Central Valley School District Board of Directors
- Othello School District Board of Directors
Organizations
- A Voice for Washington Children
- Family Policy Institute of Washington
- Healing the Culture
- Human Life of Washington
- Informed Parents of Washington
- My Family My Choice
- Parents' Rights in Education
- Students for Life
- Washington State Catholic Conference
Arguments
Official arguments
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The arguments in support of rejecting Referendum 90 in the 2020 voter guide were written by Mindie Wirth (mom, former Advocacy Chair, Northshore Council PTSA); Suzanne Burke (retired President, Fremont Dock Company, great grandmother, Rotarian); Jude Verzosa (MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, Rainier Health Network; Brian Donovan, MA, Certified 4th Grade Washington Public School Teacher); Dawn McCravey (mom, retired teacher, two term NSD Board Director); Mark Clements (retired Principal, River Home Link, Battle Ground District).
Campaign finance
Four committees registered to support approving Referendum 90: Safe & Healthy Youth Washington, Planned Parenthood Votes Washington PAC, Planned Parenthood Advocates Of Greater Washington PAC, and Fuse Voters. Together, the committees reported $1.84 million in contributions and $2.14 million in expenditures. The largest donor was Planned Parenthood Votes NW and Hawaii, which gave $489,554 in cash and in-kind contributions .[17]
Parents for Safe Schools and Informed Parents of Washington registered to support a reject vote on Referendum 90. Together, tcommittees reported $469,524 in contributions and $480,377 in expenditures. The largest donor to the committee was George Rowley, which gave $50,000. Informed Parents of Washington PAC also registered to support a reject vote. The committee reported $7,694 in contributions and $2,386 in expenditures.[17]
Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Support | $1,567,631.63 | $276,078.70 | $1,843,710.33 | $1,860,361.34 | $2,136,440.04 |
Oppose | $448,365.85 | $21,158.30 | $469,524.15 | $459,219.05 | $480,377.35 |
Total | $2,015,997.48 | $297,237.00 | $2,313,234.48 | $2,319,580.39 | $2,616,817.39 |
Support to approve
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of Referendum 90.[17]
Committees in support of Referendum 90 | |||||
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Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
Safe & Healthy Youth Washington | $1,453,838.86 | $273,828.70 | $1,727,667.56 | $1,727,667.56 | $2,001,496.26 |
Fuse Voters | $83,063.77 | $0.00 | $83,063.77 | $33,494.78 | $33,494.78 |
Planned Parenthood Advocates Of Greater Washington PAC | $26,969.00 | $2,250.00 | $29,219.00 | $22,822.31 | $25,072.31 |
Planned Parenthood Votes Washington PAC | $3,760.00 | $0.00 | $3,760.00 | $76,376.69 | $76,376.69 |
Total | $1,567,631.63 | $276,078.70 | $1,843,710.33 | $1,860,361.34 | $2,136,440.04 |
Donors
The following were the top five donors to the support committee, which had contributed 62% of the funds received by the committee.[17]
Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
Planned Parenthood Votes NW and Hawaii | $350,000.00 | $139,554.41 | $489,554.41 |
ACLU Washington | $150,000.00 | $97,104.84 | $247,104.84 |
Washington Education Association | $150,000.00 | $4,311.68 | $154,311.68 |
SEIU Initiative Fund | $69,000.00 | $0.00 | $69,000.00 |
Group Health Foundation | $50,000.00 | $0.00 | $50,000.00 |
Support to reject
Committees in opposition to Referendum 90 | |||||
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Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
Parents for Safe Schools | $440,671.40 | $21,158.30 | $461,829.70 | $456,833.28 | $477,991.58 |
Informed Parents of Washington PAC, 2020 | $7,694.45 | $0.00 | $7,694.45 | $2,385.77 | $2,385.77 |
Total | $448,365.85 | $21,158.30 | $469,524.15 | $459,219.05 | $480,377.35 |
Donors
The following were the top five donors to Parents for Safe Schools.[17]
Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
George Rowley | $50,000.00 | $0.00 | $50,000.00 |
The Reagan Fund | $25,000.00 | $18,750.00 | $43,750.00 |
Washington State Republican Party | $25,000.00 | $384.71 | $25,384.71 |
Jack Connelly of Connelly Law Offices | $25,000.00 | $0.00 | $25,000.00 |
Suzanne Burke, president of Fremont Dock Company | $14,500.00 | $0.00 | $14,500.00 |
Methodology
To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.
Polls
In an October 2020 poll commissioned by the Northwest Progressive Institute, 610 likely voters were asked how they planned to vote on Referendum 90. Poll results are detailed below.[18]
Washington Referendum 90 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Approve | Reject | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
Public Policy Polling/ Northwest Progressive Institute poll 10/14/20 - 10/15/20 | 56.0% | 33.0% | 11.0% | +/-4.0 | 610 | ||||||||||||||
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. |
Background
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) identifies information that must be taught in public schools. As of 2020, Chris Reykdal (D) was the state superintendent. Reykdal assumed office in 2017. Washington superintendents are elected every four years.
Washington sexual health education
HIV/AIDS instructionInstruction about HIV and AIDS prevention is required to be taught by public schools beginning in 5th grade and occurring annually through 12th grade. This requirement was adopted in 1988 under the Washington AIDS Omnibus Act. Materials are either provided to school districts from OSPI or developed/purchased by the school district if the material has been approved for medical accuracy by the Washington Department of Health's Office on HIV/AIDS.[19] State law requires public school teachers to "stress the importance of ... the minimum requisites for good health including the beneficial effect of physical exercise and methods to prevent exposure to and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases."[20] Additional sexual health education instructionAs of 2020, local school boards could choose to provide additional sexual health education. If a local school district board chooses to do so, the materials must comply with requirements in the Healthy Youth Act of 2007. The Healthy Youth Act, passed by the state legislature in 2007, created requirements for sexual health education beginning on September 1, 2008. The act required any sexual health education material to be "medically and scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability status, or sexual orientation, and includes information about abstinence and other methods of preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases." Medically and scientifically accurate is defined in state law to mean that the information has been verified or supported by scientific research, has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and is recognized as accurate by organizations such as the Washington State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.[21] In 2006, the Washington State Legislature unanimously passed Senate Bill 6580, which required the OSPI to make the following information available to parents and other community members:
In 2013, the state legislature amended the law to require public schools that were offering sexual health education to include information about sex offense laws, including "age-appropriate information about the legal elements of sexual [sex] offenses where a minor is a victim and the consequences upon conviction."[22][23] |
Sexual health education in other states
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of March 2020, 29 states and Washington, D.C., required public schools to provide sex education and 39 states and Washington, D.C., required public schools to provide information about HIV. Twenty two states required the material to be medically accurate. Thirty-six states and Washington, D.C., allow parents to opt their children out of sexual education 25 states and Washington, D.C., require parents to be notified that sex or HIV education will be provided, and five states require parental consent for students to receive sex education information.[24]
Standards and guidelines for sexual health education in Washington
Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards: Under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.655.070, the superintendent of public instruction develops state learning standards, which means identifying material that must be taught in public schools. Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards were developed beginning in 2014, adopted in 2016, and took effect beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. The standards were developed by the state superintendent of public instruction, teachers, subject experts, national and state associations, and other stakeholders. The standards underwent a public comment period and bias and sensitivity reviews. The 2016 standards replaced the 2008 Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). The 2016 K-12 health education learning standards, which mirror the National Health Education Standards (NHES), provide that public school health programs should prepare students to be able to:[25]
- comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health;
- analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors;
- demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health;
- demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks;
- use decision-making skills and goal-setting skills to enhance health;
- demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks; and
- advocate for personal, family, and community health.
The standards may be found here.
January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention: The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) established guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention in January 2005. The guidelines for sexual health education programs include ensuring that information is medically and scientifically accurate and objective, providing information for those who are sexually active on how to access health services, stressing that abstinence is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, and more. The January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention may be found here.
Senate Bill 5395
Senate Bill 5395 was sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson (D), vice-chair of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. In the 2020 state legislative session, SB 5395 was introduced in the State Senate on January 13, 2020, and was passed along party lines by a vote of 28-21 on January 22. It was passed in the House with amendments on March 4, 2020, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against. SB 5395 passed in the Senate along party lines on March 7, 2020, with one Democrat, Tim Sheldon, joining all Senate Republicans in voting no. Governor Jay Inslee (D) signed the bill into law on March 27, 2020.[26]
Click [show] to see SB 5395 vote totals by party.
Senate Bill 5395 vote totals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2019 sexual health education workgroup
The 2019 Washington State Operating Budget (House Bill 1109, Section 501 [3][h]) required OSPI to create a workgroup to review sexual health education learning standards and consider the merits of requiring comprehensive sexual health education in all public schools and to submit the group's findings to the state legislature by December 1, 2019. The workgroup was composed of the state superintendent, three school district representatives, three school principals, three public school health teachers, three public health officials, and three parents. The workgroup met four times.
As of 2016, Washington had 294 school districts. The workgroup surveyed the school districts asking if they provided sexual health education, to what grade levels it was provided, and what curriculums they were using. The workgroup found that of 285 districts that responded, 93% reported providing sexual health education to at least one grade-level grouping, as follows:[27]
- K-5: 64.7%;
- 6-8: 86.1%; and
- 9-12: 75.2%.
Of the school districts providing sexual health education, 42.1% reported using curriculums that had not been reviewed for compliance with education standards required by state law.[28]
The workgroup ultimately agreed that all students should receive comprehensive sexual health education in grades K-12, citing that "students who receive CSHE have better health outcomes than students who receive abstinence-only instruction or no instruction, or whose primary source of information is the internet."[28]
The workgroup's full report may be found here.
Veto referendums in Washington
A veto referendum is a type of citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature.
Click [show] to see information on veto referendum measures in Washington.
Veto referendums in Washington | ||||||||||||
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The veto referendum ballot measure is also known as a popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. In Washington, these are called referendum measures. There are 23 states that have a process for veto referendums. In Washington, successful veto referendum petitions suspend the targeted law until the veto referendum is placed on the ballot and voted on in an election. Since the first in 1914, Washington voters have decided 38 statewide veto referendum measures at the ballot. Opponents of the law collect signatures for the veto referendum petition hoping that voters will repeal it at the ballot. The most recent veto referendum, Referendum 88, was on the ballot in Washington in 2019 and resulted in Initiative 1000 being rejected. In 81.6% of cases (31 of 38), the veto referendum resulted in the targeted bill being repealed. Conversely, 18.4% (seven of 37) of veto referendum measures resulted in the targeted law being upheld.
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Path to the ballot
The state process
In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify a veto referendum for the ballot is equal to 4 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Signatures must be submitted 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session during which the targeted bill was passed.
The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2020 ballot:
- Signatures: 129,811 valid signatures were due by June 10, 2020.
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.
Signatures for veto referendums were due by June 10, 2020.
Details about this initiative
- In the 2020 state legislative session, Senate Bill 5395 was passed in the State House on March 4, 2020, along party lines with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against. It passed in the Senate along party lines on March 7, 2020, with one Democrat, Tim Sheldon, joining all Senate Republicans in voting no. Governor Jay Inslee (D) signed the bill into law on March 27, 2020.[26]
- Mindie Wirth filed the referendum on March 13, 2020.[3]
- Proponents submitted 266,000 signatures on June 10, 2020.[29]
- The secretary of state certified the measure for the ballot on June 24, 2020. In a random sample check of 7,940 signatures, the secretary of state's office found that 7,186 were valid, suggesting a signature validity rate of 90.5%. This means that of 264,637 signatures submitted by proponents, 239,496 were deemed valid through the random sample verification. To qualify for the ballot, 129,811 valid signatures were required.[3]
Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired volunteers to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $0.00 was spent to collect the 129,811 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $0.00.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Washington
Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Washington.
How to cast a vote in Washington | |||||
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Poll timesWashington is an all-mail voting state. Individuals who prefer to vote in person rather than by mail may do so at local voting centers, which are open for 18 days prior to the election. The voting period ends at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Contact your county elections department for more information on voting center locations and times.[30] Registration requirements
To vote in Washington, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years of age.[31] One may register to vote online, by mail, or in-person at a county elections department. Registration must be completed eight days in advance if done by mail or online. In-person registration is available through Election Day.[32] In 2018, Washington lawmakers enacted legislation providing for same-day voter registration and automatic voter registration.[33] Automatic registrationWashington automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, health benefit exchange, and other state agencies approved by the governor.[33] Online registration
Washington has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationWashington allows same-day voter registration.[33] Residency requirementsWashington law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.[31] Verification of citizenshipWashington does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly provides false information or knowingly make a false declaration about their qualifications "will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, or both."[34] All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[35] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters. Verifying your registrationThe site Vote WA, run by the Washington Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online. Voter ID requirementsWashington is an all-mail voting state and does not require voters to present photo identification (ID). Voters may choose to vote in person at a local voting center. According to state law RCW 29A.40.160, “The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification.” Accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state ID cards, and student ID cards. For a list of all accepted forms of ID, see below.[36] The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Washington State Legislature's voter ID regulations to ensure you have the most current information.
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See also
External links
- Washington Secretary of State: Proposed Initiatives to the People - 2020
- Referendum 90 full text
- Washington State Department of Health and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: January 2005 Guidelines for Sexual Health Information and Disease Prevention
- Washington 2020 general election voter guide
- Voters' Guide information for Referendum 90
Support |
Opposition |
Footnotes
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Sex education Referendum 90 passes in Washington state election results," accessed November 17, 2020
- ↑ Informed Parents of Washington, "Home," accessed December 21, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Washington Secretary of State, "Proposed Referendum Measures," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Washington State Legislature, "Senate Bill 5395," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 28A.300.145," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Sexual Health Education Requirements in Washington State: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards," accessed July 21, 2020
- ↑ Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "New Legislation: Senate Bill 5395 - Comprehensive Sexual Health Education," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Washington's K-12 Social Emotional Learning Standards and Benchmarks," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Referendum 90 Ballot Title Letter (Court Order)," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ King County, "November 2020 statewide general election sample ballot," accessed September 29, 2020
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Washington Secretary of State, "2020 Voters' Guide, Referendum Measure No. 90," accessed September 29, 2020
- ↑ Planned Parenthood Action, "Safe and Healthy Youth Washington Coalition Statement on Referendum 90," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Parents for Safe Schools, "Our Coalition," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "2020 statewide ballot measure committees," accessed January 13, 2021
- ↑ The Cascadia Advocate, "Voters likely to sustain state’s new sex ed law by approving Referendum 90, NPI poll finds," accessed October 28, 2020
- ↑ Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Washington State HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Requirements," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Common school curriculum.," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 28A.300.475," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 28A.300.145," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Sexual Health Education Requirements in Washington State: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)," accessed July 16, 2020
- ↑ NCSL, "State Policies on Sex Education in Schools," accessed July 21, 2020
- ↑ Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards," accessed July 21, 2020
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Washington State Legislature, "Senate Bill 5395," accessed June 11, 2020
- ↑ Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, "2019 sexual health education workgroup," accessed July 21, 2020
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Herald Net, "Foes file signatures for measure to repeal new sex-ed law," accessed June 10, 2020
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions on Voting by Mail,” accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Washington Secretary of State, "Voter Eligibility," accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Voter registration deadlines," accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 The Hill, "Wash. gov signs universal voter registration law," March 20, 2018
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Washington State Voter Registration Form," accessed November 2, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 29A.40.160," accessed April 20, 2023
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