SponsoredNewspapers InEducationContent
| SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016
3
Who is onmy ballot?
In a presidential electionyear, the race for president and vice president
dominates the news andgets themost attention from traditional and social
media. But voters have other important choices tomake thisNovember,
including the state officialswhomakemany of the decisions that affect
us on a daily basis. InWashington state, voterswill choose congressional
representatives, the governor, state legislators, other statewide officials and
some judges. These elected state and local officialsmakemanydecisions
that affect us on a daily basis.
Local Jurisdictions
LearnMore
Research a state race. Though some of
these racesmay not get asmuch attention,
there are goodways for voters to do their
“homework.” Go to votingforjudges.org to
learn about judicial candidates; go to
and The Seattle Times to
learn about all the candidates.
STATEWIDE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OFFICIALS
Candidates for governor and all statewide officeswill be on theNovember 8
ballot. EightWashington state elected officials—more than inmost other
states— share powerwith the governor. Candidates for governor and seven
other offices of these express a partypreference.
GOVERNOR
Runs the executive branch of state
government. He or she hires and
supervises 40 state agencydirectors,
including agencies that run state
prisons, issue licenses, provide
health care and other social services,
andprotect the environment. The
governorwrites the first draft of
the state budget. He or she has the
power to veto bills or parts of bills,
including the state budget bill.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Presides over sessions of the state
senate.
SECRETARYOF STATE
Supervises state and local elections,
publishes the state voters’ pamphlet
andkeeps the state archives.
TREASURER
Manages the state’s cash anddebts.
AUDITOR
Makes sure that state and local
governments follow the rules for
howpublic taxdollars are spent.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Oversees the state’s staff of
lawyers. Has the responsibility of
defending state laws if the laws are
challenged in court.
COMMISSIONER OF
PUBLIC LANDS
Overseesmillions of acres of state-
owned land,most of it forest land
that canproduce timber for the
state to sell.
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
Makes sure insurance companies
treat their customers fairly and
follow the rules. Establishes and
oversees the Patient Protection and
Affordable CareAct reforms for
Washington state.
SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Handles the state’s responsibilities
for public schools (with other
responsibilities in the hands of
local school districts). This is
the only office up for election
in the executive branch that is
non-partisan. Candidates donot
indicate a partypreference.
STATE LEGISLATURE
There are twohouses of the
legislature— theHouse of
Representatives and the Senate.
Members of the state legislature
make the laws during a legislative
session, which begins in early
January. These laws have
significant impacts onyour life,
as legislatorsmake decisions
about education funding,
climate change, civil rights and
transportation.
Each of the state’s 49 legislative
districts has two representatives,
for a total of 98. All state
representativesmust run for office
every two years (in even-numbered
years), so all are up for re-election
this year. Eachdistrict alsohas
one senator. State senators are
elected every four years in even-
numberedyears. Half of them
are up for election this year. All
candidates for the Legislature
express a partypreference.
JUDICIAL SEATS
InWashington, judgesmust run
for election, although some of them
mayget their start on the bench by
being appointed tofill a seat vacated
inmid-term. Judicial positions are
nonpartisan. The idea is that judges
should be selected based on their
experience and other qualifications
for judicial office—not on their
political party.
Voters choose judges of the Supreme
Court, courts of appeals, superior
courts, district courts andmunicipal
courts for terms of varying lengths.
There are usually other judicial
positions indistrict andmunicipal
courts onwhich votersmustmake a
decision.
Washingtonians vote for officials in three branches of
state government— executive, legislative and judicial.
The 39 counties and various cities
and towns inWashington all have
differing types of governmental
processes, and each jurisdictionwill
have individuals to elect and issues
to decide for that level of government
– the governmentwhere you live!
