Sadly, The Olympian criticized our united lawsuit to stop Secretary of State Sam Reed from abolishing PCO elections without looking at the full scope of the issue.
The Olympian joins Reed in arguing that the state should abolish PCO elections because parties are private institutions on par with Rotary clubs, unions or trade associations.
False. Political parties are part of our elections and governance. They are referenced 10 times in our constitution and more than 150 times in statute. Rotary clubs, machinist unions and chambers of commerce are never mentioned and for good reason: they play no role in selecting party nominees or elected officials.
We also believe that Secretary Reed is breaking the law.
Last year, the courts ruled that due to Washington’s top-two primary system, the current method for holding PCO elections is unconstitutional. However, the laws requiring the state to conduct these elections remain in place.
In December, Reed overstepped his authority by adopting rules dismissing the state’s obligation to conduct these important elections. Our constitution prohibits the executive branch from overriding statutes passed by the Legislature.
We stand ready to work with Secretary Reed to find a constitutional method for preserving these crucial elections. Losing PCOs would be a loss for transparency, accountability and good government.
