Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 30, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
“Voting is the essential exercise for selecting our government leaders, determining public policy, and maintaining our democratic freedoms and values,” Locke said. “State agencies play a vital role in helping citizens register to vote, and we should continue those efforts and build upon them.”
State law requires certain state agencies to provide voter registration assistance to clients or employees who elect to register to vote. The federal National Voter Registration Act also requires state agencies that provide public assistance to offer voter registration services to clients applying for benefits, recertifying their eligibility or changing addresses.
Locke directed executive state agencies to undertake the following actions to facilitate voter registration:
·Each agency currently providing voter registration assistance shall review its compliance with state law and the federal National Voter Registration Act, and identify any additional locations at which voter registration assistance can be provided.
·State agencies that are not required by state or federal law to provide voter registration assistance shall nonetheless consider ways they can offer voter registration assistance, such as by displaying information and making voter-registration forms available in areas frequented by the public or by employees
·Each state agency that posts a web site shall provide a link that, if selected, will link the citizen to the secretary of state's voter registration web site. The prompt must ask the citizen if he or she wishes to register to vote.
“Voting is a cherished right and a fundamental responsibility of Washington citizens,” Locke said. “Yet in Washington as in the rest of the country, voter registration levels are unacceptably low. Today, more than a third of eligible citizens in Washington are not registered to vote.”
Each executive state agency was asked to notify Locke by September 1, 2004, of steps it is taking to facilitate voter registration.
Locke also directed agencies to make it clear to citizens that voter registration is entirely voluntary, and does not affect eligibility for public services or employment.
Related Links:
- Secretary of State’s Voter Registration Web site
- Governor's Office
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 30, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Gov. Gary Locke Directs State Agencies to Facilitate Voter Registration
Gov. Gary Locke today called on state agencies renew their commitment to facilitating voter registration in Washington state.“Voting is the essential exercise for selecting our government leaders, determining public policy, and maintaining our democratic freedoms and values,” Locke said. “State agencies play a vital role in helping citizens register to vote, and we should continue those efforts and build upon them.”
State law requires certain state agencies to provide voter registration assistance to clients or employees who elect to register to vote. The federal National Voter Registration Act also requires state agencies that provide public assistance to offer voter registration services to clients applying for benefits, recertifying their eligibility or changing addresses.
Locke directed executive state agencies to undertake the following actions to facilitate voter registration:
·Each agency currently providing voter registration assistance shall review its compliance with state law and the federal National Voter Registration Act, and identify any additional locations at which voter registration assistance can be provided.
·State agencies that are not required by state or federal law to provide voter registration assistance shall nonetheless consider ways they can offer voter registration assistance, such as by displaying information and making voter-registration forms available in areas frequented by the public or by employees
·Each state agency that posts a web site shall provide a link that, if selected, will link the citizen to the secretary of state's voter registration web site. The prompt must ask the citizen if he or she wishes to register to vote.
“Voting is a cherished right and a fundamental responsibility of Washington citizens,” Locke said. “Yet in Washington as in the rest of the country, voter registration levels are unacceptably low. Today, more than a third of eligible citizens in Washington are not registered to vote.”
Each executive state agency was asked to notify Locke by September 1, 2004, of steps it is taking to facilitate voter registration.
Locke also directed agencies to make it clear to citizens that voter registration is entirely voluntary, and does not affect eligibility for public services or employment.
Related Links:
- Secretary of State’s Voter Registration Web site
- Governor's Office
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