Hello tiblu-ga,
Your original question asks how to register to vote online showing
your party preference as a Democrat. In your clarification you explain
that you?re in Washington state and that you?re registered but you
don?t remember what party affiliation you showed when you registered.
My research shows that there may be a very good reason for not
remembering. Washington state has had a blanket primary system for
over 60 years which means that you did not have to declare your party
affiliation to vote in primary elections. This system was challenged
in court and was overturned in September of 2003. How the next primary
election will be handled is up in the air pending action by the
legislature.
I?ve collected a variety of resources to help you explore these issues
further. I?ve listed the Washington Secretary of State websites that
tell you how to register to vote and how to contact your County
Auditor to clarify any issues you may have about your registration.
I?ve also included links to the explanations of the lawsuit and
pending actions regarding the future of the blanket primary system.
Please don?t hesitate to ask for clarification if any of this is confusing.
Wishing you an exciting election season.
~ czh ~
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx
Register to Vote
To register to vote in the state of Washington, you must be:
-- A citizen of the United States
-- A legal resident of Washington state
-- At least 18 years old by election day
In the state of Washington, you do not have to register by political
party or declare political party membership to vote in the state's
regular primaries or general elections.
If you meet the above criteria you can register by completing and
mailing in a voter registration form available below.
---------------------------------------
Contact your county auditor or elections department for assistance and information.
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/auditors.aspx
County Auditors/Elections Departments in Washington State
In the State of Washington, elections are administered at the local
level by County Auditors (except King County, which has a Department
of Records and Elections). These offices are available to help you
with registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot, and other
elections-related services. (See list of addresses and links.)
---------------------------------------
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/auditor/Elections/votelect.html
Voter Registration & Voting Information
Do I have to declare a political party when I register?
No. Washington State does not require party affiliation when
registering or political party membership to vote in the state?s
regular primaries or general elections.
(Sample instructions from voter registration FAQ for Thurston County.)
---------------------------------------
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/139776_primary16.html
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Blanket primary is struck down
Appeals court says state's system violates political parties' rights
Today's primary election will give Washington voters what may be their
last opportunity to skip back and forth across a primary ballot --
voting for a Democrat for one elective office, a Republican for
another and a Libertarian for another.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in an unequivocal 3-0 decision,
struck down the state's popular blanket primary election law
yesterday. It was a big victory for the state Democratic, Republican
and Libertarian parties that sought to have the 68-year-old system
thrown out, but it doesn't affect today's primary.
(See rest of the article for a brief explanation of the issues involved.)
---------------------------------------
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/blanket_primary.aspx
The History of the Blanket Primary in Washington State
(This page offers a large collection of links that address every
aspect of the Blanket Primary and what comes next for the 2004
elections.)
---------------------------------------
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/office/news.aspx?news_id=228
Washington -- Office of the Secretary of State ? Sam Reed
Reed proposes modified blanket primary
NEWS RELEASE
Issued: January 09, 2004
The United States Supreme Court may ultimately declare Washington's
blanket primary unconstitutional. To avoid an election fiasco, the
2004 Legislature must create an alternative primary system.
-- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has declared Washington's blanket
primary unconstitutional.
-- Therefore, Washington currently has no constitutional primary election system.
-- The Secretary of State lacks authority to create a primary system.
-- Only the Legislature may act. If lawmakers fail to do so,
Washington will not hold a 2004 Primary. All candidates will advance
to a chaotic, general election ballot. The result could be an election
similar to the recent recall election in California.
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