Initiative 1634, Grocery taxes
Election Results
| Option | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1,721,487 | 55.88% |
| No | 1,359,240 | 44.12% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
Complete Coverage
I-1634, a ban on local soda and grocery taxes, approved
Local governments looking for more tax money will have to look somewhere else than soda.
Shawn Vestal: Another election year, another record high for corporate spending on Washington’s initiatives
Corporations are “speaking” louder than any other entity in this election by spending tens of millions of dollars on statewide initiatives.
Editorial Endorsements: No on the carbon tax; yes on the grocery tax ban
Washington voters will find two tax measures on the ballot. They should reject new taxes that will hinder economic growth and every Washingtonian’s pocket book by voting no on a carbon tax and yes on a ban on grocery taxes.
Brace for an ad onslaught as big money pours into initiative campaigns
Millions of dollars pour into initiative campaigns, fueling ads on television, the internet and in the mailbox.
Lopsided I-1634 campaign, with millions from soda industry, blankets airwaves
The I-1634 campaign is blanketing the airwaves with advertisements that raise the specter of looming local grocery taxes, while making little or no mention of the sweetened beverages produced by the companies funding the campaign.
I-1634 would ban new local taxes on all groceries, including soda
Soda industry backs an initiative that would keep local governments from putting taxes on soda or groceries.
Initiatives on carbon fees, soda taxes qualify for ballot
Two more initiatives have enough signatures to go on the November ballot.
Spin Control: Is it true democracy if it takes millions to get an initiative on the ballot?
Some groups spend big to get signatures for ballot initiatives.
Shawn Vestal: Initiative process hijacked by sugar-water companies
This year, four enormous sugar-water companies – the makers of Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and Red Bull – have spent almost $5 million to prohibitively outlaw any future taxes on their products.
I-1634 backers warn soda tax could spread to food
Supporters of an anti-tax initiative say they fear a local tax on food would hurt working families, even though they concede that no city or county in Washington has such a tax.
State to check signatures on gun initiative despite concerns
Three initiatives submit far more signatures than they need to qualify for the ballot, but Secretary of State Kim Wyman says one proposal’s petitions raise legal concerns.
Voters to be asked to stop local soda and grocery taxes
Voters likely to be asked whether to prevent new local taxes on soda and other groceries.