Voter Choice Should Be Improved

During the meetings of the Pierce County Blue Ribbon Review Panel on Ranked Choice Voting, the lawyers representing the Secretary of State's office and the Auditor interpreted the Charter to require minor party candidates and independent candidates to need four times as many signatures to get on the ballot as major party candidates.

The members of the panel felt this was not in the spirit of Charter Amendment #3 and discussed potential remedies. After much discussion, panel member Ruth Bennett proposed asking the County Council to put a charter amendment on the ballot to even the playing field for minor parties and independents.

Her recommendation is to replace Section 4.15 (3) with

"(3) The County Executive Committee, or, if there is none, the State Executive Committee of each minor party who files with the State Public Disclosure Commission may determine which candidates may use their party label for each county level office."

The consensus of the panel (including representatives of all three parties) was that this amendment would even the playing field, increase voter choice and improve the charter.

We encourage the County Council to put such an amendment on the ballot in November 2007.