Greetings from a very chilly Olympia!
 
February has brought a blast of wintry weather to those of us in western Washington, along with a rush of legislative activities. I’m pleased to report that the Senate has taken quick action on one of my priorities for the legislative session by passing a bill to move the Presidential Primary to an earlier date on the calendar. We continue to stress the importance of including an option for the undeclared voter which will allow each of you to vote in the Presidential Primary without declaring a party preference.
 
There’s much more work to do over the next few months, from other bills to improve state elections to the urgent need to start building a new combined Library-Archives Building to replace several obsolete buildings in the Olympia area. I’m also asking the Legislature to increase resources for the Address Confidentiality Program, which is an important step to effectively help protect the 5,000 Washington adults and children who have enrolled in it.  
 
If you’re in Olympia to take part in the legislative session or just here to take a look at the capital city during its busiest season, please visit the Office of the Secretary of State in the Legislative Building to peruse our 1968: The Year that Rocked Washington exhibit assembled by our Legacy Washington team. We’re launching the book that accompanies this project with a special event on February 12th. You can read more about that later in this newsletter.
 
Wherever you are in Washington during this month’s cold days, please keep warm and travel safely. Feel free to forward this message to anyone you think might be interested in reading it and encourage them to subscribe. You can also follow our office on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
 
As always, thank you for the privilege of serving as your Secretary of State.  

Sincerely,

HONORING GOVERNOR EVANS AND SECRETARY MUNRO

On Sunday, February 3rd, it was my honor to present former Governor Dan Evans and former Secretary of State Ralph Munro with the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award at the winter conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State.
 
I nominated Governor Evans and Secretary Munro for this award last year for their work helping Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s, and I’m delighted that they’ve become the first Washingtonians to receive it! You can read about the reasons why I nominated them in our press release here, and my nomination letter for these two pillars of Washington history can be read here.

RSVP NOW FOR LEGACY WASHINGTON’S 1968 BOOK LAUNCH

You’re invited to join the Legacy Washington team in my office in Olympia’s Legislative Building Tuesday, February 12th, at 5 p.m. for the official book launch of 1968: The Year That Rocked Washington.
 
Several people profiled in 1968 will join us to help celebrate the new book release, and they’ll be signing the books as well! Books will be available for purchase, and the event will include a short informal program and light refreshments.

All proceeds from book sales support Legacy Washington. Space is limited, so if you plan to attend, please RSVP to info@sos.wa.gov or call (360) 902-4171. Hope to see you there!

FEBRUARY SPECIAL ELECTION IS IN FULL SWING (IN SOME JURISDICTIONS)

We’re in the 18-day voting period for the February Special Election, which means 1.6 million voters in 32 of Washington’s 39 counties have until February 12th to make their voices heard on local issues.
 
Please join me in encouraging folks who’ve moved recently to check their registration status at MyVote.wa.gov to make sure their voices are heard.
                                  
If you do have a ballot to cast, please be sure to submit it in time to be postmarked if you’re voting by mail! The Legislature is currently considering my request to provide postage-paid ballot return envelopes in all elections. Until it passes, not all counties are able to provide postage-paid envelopes, so be sure to check your envelope to see if it needs a stamp to be mailed.

MAKING THE CASE FOR A NEW LIBRARY-ARCHIVES BUILDING

On Tuesday, January 29th, I had the privilege of giving members of the media a tour of the Washington State Archives building.
 
My top priority this legislative session is getting the Legislature to authorize construction on a new Library-Archives Building that will meet modern archival standards, consolidate the location of our divisions, and make things more convenient for customers.
 
The Olympian, KING-5, Thurston Talk, KIRO-7, and other media outlets covered the tour and got a firsthand look at the damage done by the 2014 flood as well as other potential disasters that have been narrowly avoided over the years.

TALKING LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ON TVW

On Wednesday, January 16th, I sat down with TVW’s Mike McClanahan for an interview segment on The Impact to explain our legislative priorities, including the urgent need for a new Library-Archives Building and several elections reforms that you can read more about here.
 
It was a great, in-depth interview, and viewers of The Impact also got to see footage of the shortcomings of our current Archives building. You can watch my segment at the TVW website.

WTBBL HOSTS THE 2019 REGIONAL BRAILLE CHALLENGE

On Saturday, January 12th, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library staff hosted its delightful regional Braille Challenge.
 
Five participants were joined by 52 supporters and other attendees who got to meet and greet puppies during a special presentation by the Guide Dogs for the Blind.
 
The annual Braille Challenge competition is affiliated with the Braille Institute’s national competition, in which top state scorers will travel to California to participate this summer.
 
Information about the event can be found here on WTBBL’s website.
 
 

HELPING SCHOOLS HONOR TEMPERANCE AND GOOD CITIZENSHIP DAY

Public schools throughout Washington observed Temperance and Good Citizenship Day Wednesday, January 16th. It’s an annual commemoration unique to Washington created in 1923 to teach the qualities of civic leadership, and our Elections team is providing educators statewide with resources to help make the day a success.
 
In the 2018 legislative session, Temperance and Good Citizenship Day became the focus of the Future Voter Program I proposed. Starting later this year, high school social studies, civics, and history teachers will coordinate in-class events in which 16- and 17-year-old Washington citizens can enroll as Future Voters, which will add them automatically to the voter registration database upon turning 18.
 
You can read more about this uniquely Washington occasion and find classroom resources about the event at the Elections Division’s Temperance and Good Citizenship Day homepage.