STATE GOVERNMENT
Washington Voting Rights Act passes House
The Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) will allow communities that are systemically disenfranchised in local government elections to work collaboratively with their local governing bodies to adjust their elections through local remedies such as districted systems. This act focuses on a collaborative process rather than litigation, which currently is the only path to relief under the federal Voting Rights Act. If this collaborative process fails, communities can then seek relief in state court.
The measure had repeatedly passed the House in previous years, but was killed without a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. With Democrats gaining a narrow majority in that body after last fall’s special election of Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Kirkland), the WVRA was finally granted a Senate vote this year and passed. In Tuesday’s House vote, every Democratic state representative and two Republicans, Reps. Larry Haler of Richland and Paul Graves of Fall City, voted “yes.”
In 2012, two Yakima Latino citizens claimed the City of Yakima’s election system unlawfully diluted the Latino vote, and it did not allow for equal participation by Latinos in the election process. Yakima voters had never elected a Hispanic or Latino city councilmember despite having a population of nearly 40 percent Hispanic or Latino. A federal court agreed with the citizens, and ordered Yakima to draw districts for its city council elections, instead of relying on at-large seats.
“The Washington Voting Rights Act offers a fair, consistent and collaborative process for fixing discriminatory election systems that may exclude entire communities from having meaningful representation,” said Eric González, WSLC Legislative and Policy Director. “Whether they are on school boards, city councils, or commissioner districts, these positions have the power to significantly shape and impact the social, health, and economic prosperity of voting and non-voting age populations alike.”
“The Washington State Labor Council believes this is a critically important piece of legislation that will strengthen our democracy by promoting more accessible and equitable election processes,” González said.
Sen. Saldaña and Rep. Gregerson posted this video shortly after Tuesday’s historic vote on the WVRA.