Olympia, April 25 -- Initiative 751, sponsored by the Washington State Grange and designed to preserve the basic tenets of the blanket primary, is looking like the best, if not the only, solution to the blanket primary solution as legislators head into special session.

House Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard (R-Wenatchee) has gone on record saying the House would not consider the front-running House plan, a modified "Louisiana" style primary. That system would have to top two vote-getters moving on to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Governor Gary Locke has stated his support for a primary that allows voters to choose partisan ballots and an independent ballot. However, the vast majority of Washington voters would likely choose the "traditional" ballot, as it is called. The problem there is the parties would decide if they would count those ballots or not, and the Republicans and Democrats have gone on record saying they would not. Voters would end up with the dog-and-pony show that upset so many at the Presidential primary last year, where independent voters were shut out of the process.

Initiative 751 would allow voters to vote exactly how they have for the past 65 years. There would be no registration by party, and voters would receive one ballot with all candidates listed. Voters would vote for whomever they wanted, regardless of a candidate's party. The initiative would give parties the option of selecting their own "official" candidate(s) for each partisan office, thereby satisfying last summer's U.S. Supreme Court decision that started this whole process in the first place.

"Washington voters are left with one choice if they hope to keep their blanket primary intact," said Washington State Grange Master Terry Hunt, sponsor of I-751. "If Initiative 751 does not receive enough signatures, voters will be left with either a primary system that keeps the majority of them out of the picture, or with some other system imposed by a federal district court."

The Initiative 751 signature campaign is going full-steam, but more support is needed from across the state. "I would strongly encourage everyone who is concerned about his or her right to choose who represents them in our government to sign Initiative 751, and join our team in making sure it makes the ballot and passes in November," said Hunt

If you would like to volunteer or have petitions mailed to you, call (800) 854-1635 or (360) 943-9911.

####