Grange offers new ‘top-two’ primary

OLYMPIA – The state Grange, the farm-based fraternal group that sponsored Washington’s popular blanket primary 70 years ago, is back with a “top two” replacement proposal that bears a striking similarity to the old favorite.

If voters green-light the Grange’s new initiative, it will take the place of a recently approved system that requires voters to take only one party’s primary ballot.

The group turned in an estimated 230,000 voter signatures to the secretary of state on Tuesday, hauling boxloads of petitions from a gleaming black 1931 Ford Model A pickup. Another 40,000 will be delivered on Friday, ensuring a place on the November ballot for the “People’s Choice” initiative, Grange President Terry Hunt told reporters.

The Grange persuaded the Legislature to adopt the original blanket primary initiative back in 1934.

For nearly 70 years, that system has allowed primary voters to pick a favorite candidate for each office, regardless of party label. Ticket-splitting has been widespread.

But federal courts tossed out that system, agreeing with the political parties that it violates their constitutional right to pick their own standard-bearers.

Forced to replace the blanket primary, lawmakers sent Gov. Gary Locke a bill that included both of the main rival plans: a top-two primary that would advance the two top vote-getters for each office to the November election, regardless of party, and a Montana-style primary that would require a voter to take part in only one party’s primary, with the ballot choice kept private.

Lawmakers designated the top-two plan as their main choice, with the Montana system a backup. But Locke vetoed the top-two plan and left the Montana plan, saying it would end litigation and uncertainty.

The Grange tried to overturn Locke’s action in court, but lost.

Hunt said the Grange got involved, and stayed involved, to advocate for the little guy against the big and powerful, especially the political parties.

The group also began circulating Initiative 872 to create the top-two system.

The short timeline – about three months – meant the sponsors had to use paid signature-gathering, the Grange said. Spokesman Don Whiting said volunteers gathered about a fourth of the signatures and that the group spent about $450,000 on solicitors.

Hunt said the Grange may spend $500,000 to push the initiative this fall, but he is confident of success.

“This will sell itself,” particularly since voters will be very unhappy from their recent experience of having to pick a partisan primary ballot, said James Johnson, the Grange attorney.

The political parties will oppose the initiative and have vowed to challenge it in court if it passes. During legislative hearings this year, party leaders also said they would nominate their candidates by convention if the Montana-style partisan primary is thrown out.

Johnson said the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that the top-two approach is constitutional.

“This is bulletproof,” he said.

The initiative was the second to be submitted this week. On Monday, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman submitted more than 238,000 signatures for his “Just Treat Us the Same” Initiative 892. It would authorize nontribal businesses, such as bars, bowling alleys and minicasinos, to have electronic faux slot machines such as tribes now have. Tax revenue would be earmarked for property tax relief.

Eyman also announced that he’ll be submitting signatures for a second property tax initiative on Friday. He said he and co-sponsors will bring in an unspecified number of signatures for I-864, which would cut nonvoter-approved local property taxes by 25 percent.

Two other groups also planned to come in on Friday. The League of Education Voters, which proposes a 1 percent sales tax hike for education, is sponsoring I-884. Breathe Easy Washington is proposing I-890, to ban smoking in public places, including bars and taverns