OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman is asking a court to declare that electronic signatures are not acceptable of initiative petitions.

Wyman filed the request in Thurston County Superior Court last week. She has previously said she believes the Legislature should weigh in before her office unilaterally begins accepting electronic signatures.

Some initiative sponsors have urged her office to accept them already, especially given concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wyman says 67 initiatives to the Legislature have been proposed this year. The deadline to file initiatives for the upcoming session is Dec. 31. Sponsors need about 260,000 valid signatures to qualify.