Initiative 872

Initiative 872 would throw out Washington’s partisan primary – which just had its initial run – and replace it with a non-partisan primary in which the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

The issue: The state Grange secured a spot on the statewide ballot for the “Top 2” primary election system. The Grange is the farm-based fraternal group that sponsored Washington’s popular blanket primary 70 years ago.

The courts threw out that system, which allows crossover voting, and Gov. Gary Locke used his veto pen to create a Montana-style system that requires voters to restrict themselves to one party’s primary. That system was used for the first time on Sept. 14, and voters statewide complained about the change.

Supporters of the initiative argue that requiring voters to select one party’s ballot limits their freedom to vote as they choose, and that the new primary system allows political parties – who sued to overturn the state’s previous blanket primary – to limit voters’ choices.

Opponents, who include the League of Women Voters and the Libertarian Party, say the Top 2 system will inevitably result in one-party choices in the general elections, in cases where the top vote-getters come from the same party. Third parties and independent candidates would be disenfranchised, as well, critics say, and often won’t make it to the general election, further limiting voter choice.