Taxes, smoking, more on today’s ballot

Washington voters have a chance today to lower the gas tax. Or not.

Change the rules for medical malpractice. Or not.

Further limit where smokers can light up. Or not.

Those are among the choices on a ballot that for most residents will be longer on issues than contests between candidates.

The off-year election also features races for city and town councils, school boards, fire districts and other small taxing entities.

Absentee voters who have not yet cast their ballots by mail – and 28 of the state’s 39 counties vote exclusively by mail – will have to get them postmarked by sometime today. The envelopes must be signed and dated for the ballots to be counted.

Those who are registered to vote at the polls will have to get to their precinct’s polling station sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voters will be asked to present some form of identification before signing the poll book and getting a ballot.

Those who don’t have identification will be issued provisional ballots, which can’t be counted until the signatures are matched with voter records on file with the county.

Statewide initiatives are asking voters to do some things the Legislature has declined to do, like revise the system for malpractice claims in medical cases. Initiative 330, which has strong backing from medical organizations, seeks to limit certain kinds of damages and put other restrictions on lawyers who file such claims. Initiative 336, which has strong backing from attorney groups, proposes new rules for doctors involved in malpractice claims and insurance companies that issue such policies.

The two initiatives aren’t connected and attempt to change different statutes. If both pass, there are no immediate conflicts that would lead to a court challenge; if both fail, the Legislature could take up the issue next year.

The Legislature did raise the state gasoline tax by a total 9.5 cents over the next three years to pay for a list of road and bridge projects. Initiative 912 would repeal the tax.

Initiative 901 would extend the state’s indoor smoking ban to almost all public places, and force smokers to light up away from the doors and windows at those places too. Initiative 900 would give the state more power to conduct audits of government agencies, and Senate Joint Resolution 8207 would expand the membership on the panel that oversees judicial conduct.

Voters in Spokane won’t be finished when they wade through the six state issues. County voters are being asked their advice on whether to switch to all-mail balloting and whether to raise the sales tax one-tenth of a percent to pay for mental health services. City of Spokane residents are being asked whether to raise property taxes to maintain police and fire services and restore library hours. Spokane Valley residents are being asked whether their council members should get raises. Some other communities and districts have annexation and tax measures.