Officials Won’t Bar Cityvote

Thu., Sept. 28, 1995

From Staff Reports

Washington state election officials will not tell Spokane and other cities to remove a presidential preference primary from their Nov. 7 ballot.

“We don’t have that authority,” Don Whiting, assistant secretary of state, said Wednesday. “It’s not our intention to challenge any of these” city ballots.

The Washington state Democratic Party contends CityVote - a voluntary straw poll on 21 announced or potential presidential candidates - is illegal.

State chairman Paul Berendt is asking state and county elections officials to bar cities from participating in the event.

David Vogel, an attorney for the party, said cities can only ask their voters for opinions on things that fall under city powers.

Vogel acknowledged he had not studied the charters of Spokane and Tacoma, the two largest Washington cities participating in CityVote.

If state Democrats want to challenge the ballot, they will have to file the lawsuit, Whiting said. That could mean a separate suit in each of the four counties - Spokane, Pierce, Thurston and Wenatchee - that have participating cities.

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.