General Election Local Voters Pamphlet November 6, 2012

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1 General Election Local Voters Pamphlet November 6, 2012 Dear Kitsap County Voter: Every four years voters exercise their constitutional right and civic duty by casting votes in the Presidential Election. In 2008 we saw record turnout of 87 percent with nearly 126,000 Kitsap citizens voting in the General Election. We anticipate high turnout for the 2012 General Election as well. An important part of exercising your constitutional right to vote, is casting an informed ballot. There is a wealth of information available on the presidential candidates. However, it is equally important to learn about the candidates running for local and statewide offices that will impact our daily lives in Washington state. A great place to start the information gathering is with the Local Voters Pamphlet. This pamphlet includes essential information about the candidates and resources available to you here in Kitsap County. The Secretary of State s Office provides a state voters pamphlet with information on candidates for federal, state and judicial offices, in addition to statewide ballot measures. The expected high turnout means that our staff will be working harder than ever to make sure the election runs smoothly and that ballots are counted in a timely and efficient manner. As an informed voter, there are some things that you can do to ensure the process runs smoothly as well. When marking your ballot, use a single dark line to connect the arrows. This will ensure our ballot counting equipment is able to record your marks without additional review by staff. Don t forget to sign the lavender return envelope before mailing or depositing your ballot. Your signature is required to validate your ballot. Mailing or delivering your ballot before Election Day reduces Election Day volumes and ensures ballots are received in time to be counted and part of the immediate count. Informed voters are the cornerstone of our democracy. Be informed! Vote!! Sincerely, Walter E. Washington Kitsap County Auditor Pamphlet Contents Voter Information...2 Register to Vote... 3 Political Party Information Hour Ballot Drop Boxes...4 Mobile Voting Locations...4 Make Your Vote Count... 5 Vote Centers and Accessible Voting... 5 Sample Ballot Candidate Statements Kitsap County Commissioner Districts... 8 Public Utility District... 9 Maps Contact Information Kitsap County Auditor Elections Division: Online auditor@co.kitsap.wa.us Phone from Bainbridge Island from Olalla fax Mailing Address 614 Division St., MS-31 Port Orchard, WA Physical Address 619 Division St., Port Orchard, WA Cover Photo 24-Hour Ballot Drop Box, East Bremerton Additional Sources of Information: Washington Secretary of State Federal Voting Assistance Program Ballots mailed by October 19

2 Voter Information State and Federal Candidates/Measures The Secretary of State s Office will publish a voters pamphlet including all federal and state candidates, as well as all statewide measures. The state pamphlet will be delivered by the post office to all households in Kitsap County and is also available online at: General Election Ballot State measures will appear first on the ballot followed by the Office of President and Vice President of the United States, then state and county offices. The two candidates that received the most votes in the Primary and received at least 1 percent of the votes cast for that office appear on the General Election ballot. The candidate that received the most votes in the Primary is listed first. Candidates that did not appear in the Primary are listed in the order determined by lot draw. Questions or Need a Replacement Ballot? If you have not received your ballot by Oct. 25, or if your ballot is damaged or lost, a replacement ballot may be obtained by calling the Kitsap County Auditor Elections Division, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday: from Bainbridge Island from Olalla or Early Ballots If you are a military or overseas voter or if you believe your ballot will not be received in time to vote, you may request your ballot be sent by or request an early ballot up to 90 days before an election. Early ballots list only contests known at the time of the request. To request an ballot or early ballot, visit: or call the Kitsap County Auditor Elections Division: from Bainbridge Island from Olalla Additional information for military and overseas voters is available from the Federal Voting Assistance Program at: Information about the Congressional District 1 race Congressional District 6 voters, who were previously in Congressional District 1 before changes were made to that boundary, will also vote to elect a U.S. Representative in Congressional District 1 to fill a short-term vacancy. Voters will also vote for a U.S. Representative in Congressional District 6 that now includes all voters in Kitsap County The candidate that wins the U.S. Representative District 1 short-term race will take office after the General Election is certified until Jan. 2, 2013 The candidate that wins the U.S. Representative District 6 race will take office Jan. 3, 2013, for the two-year term Write-Ins Which Votes Can Be Counted General Election write-in votes can only be counted if: A manual recount is conducted The total number of write-in votes and under-votes for the office is greater than the number of votes cast for the candidate apparently elected Candidate and Committee Statements The Local Voters Pamphlet includes statements submitted by candidates running for offices. Statements printed in this pamphlet are the opinions of the authors. The Auditor s Office is not responsible for the content of statements or their factual and grammatical accuracy. Your Right to Privacy Every voter has the right to vote his or her ballot in secret. Any person attempting to vote when he or she is not entitled, or who falsely signs the declaration, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both fine and imprisonment. Participating Jurisdictions Districts participating in this Local Voters Pamphlet are: Kitsap County, Public Utility District 1. Online Voter Guide and Ballot Tracker Candidate and ballot information in this pamphlet is available online. The Online Voter Guide allows you to view your ballot online and verify that your ballot is received by the Elections Division at: Additional Postage Required to Return Your Ballot by Mail As a result of the size of the ballot for this election, which includes numerous statewide measures and candidates for the Office of President of the United States, extra postage is needed to return your ballot by mail To avoid additional postage, use one of the 24-hour ballot drop boxes listed on page 4 Return your ballot early You may mail your voted ballot or deposit it in a ballot drop box as early as the day you receive it Mail your ballot early enough to ensure it is postmarked by Election Day Ballots received by Monday, Nov. 5 will be included in the first count of ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6 2

3 Register to Vote Who May Vote To be eligible to vote, one must register and be: A citizen of the United States A legal resident of the state of Washington 18 years of age by the next election Not under the authority of the Department of Corrections for a Washington felony conviction Not disqualified from voting due to a court order How to Register Online at Complete a mail-in registration form available at libraries, city halls, public schools, fire district offices and at the County Auditor s Office When you renew your driver s license When to Register Individuals may register to vote at any time Oct. 6: Deadline for mail-in registrations and updates for the General Election Oct. 8: Deadline for online registrations and updates for the General Election Oct. 29: In-person voter registration deadline. Citizens not currently registered in Washington state may register until eight days prior to an election by appearing in person at the County Auditor s Office Update Your Voter Record if You Move If you are already registered to vote in Kitsap County, update your voter record online at: You may also call the Kitsap County Auditor Elections Division: from Bainbridge Island from Olalla A new voter registration card will be mailed after your address change is processed. Name Change If you have legally changed your name, you must complete a new voter registration application. Your new signature is used to validate your ballot. To Cancel Your Voter Registration You may provide a signed request to cancel your registration. In the case of a deceased voter, a family member may provide written and signed authorization to request cancellation. Political Party Information Major Political Parties A major political party is a political party where any statewide office received at least 5 percent of the total votes cast at the last preceding state General Election in an even-numbered year. Washington state has two major political parties Democratic and Republican. Democratic Party Washington State 901 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle, WA (fax) info@wa-democrats.org Kitsap County Democratic Central Committee kitsapchair@yahoo.com Republican Party Washington State N.E. First St., Suite A306 Bellevue, WA (fax) comments@wsrp.org Kitsap County chairman@kitsaprepublicans.com Minor Political Parties A minor political party is any political party where no statewide office received more than 5 percent of the total votes cast at the last preceding state General Election in an even-numbered year. Candidates for Partisan Office Candidates may state on the ballot a political party that he or she prefers. Candidates may choose to not state a party preference A candidate s party preference does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate The election for President and Vice President is different. Candidates for President and Vice President are the official nominees of their political party Contributions to Candidates and Political Committees Contribution Limits State law sets contribution limits on donations to legislative, state executive, and judicial office candidates as well as bona fide political party and caucus political committees Anyone who donates more than $25 in monetary and in-kind contributions must be identified by name and full address. For donations of more than $100; occupation, employer name, city and state of his/her employer are also required Public Disclosure Commission for Washington State or (toll free), 3

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8 County Partisan Offices County Commissioner District 1 4 Year Term Robert "Rob" Gelder (Prefers Democratic Party) robert@robertgelder.com Website: Biography: Rob was elected County Commissioner in November Previously, he served two years on the Kitsap Citizen s Budget Advisory Committee and on the 2011 Budget Panel. He received his BA from the University of Rochester. Rob is a member of the Poulsbo Rotary Club, received the 2005 Community Builder Award from the Poulsbo Chamber and was in the first class of 40 Under Forty for Kitsap. Rob has over twenty years experience in health/human services and over a decade of senior management/leadership experience. He is actively involved in our community and brings a common sense, balanced approach to the Board. Statement: My career and life experiences instilled in me a strong sense of good citizenship and I am honored to serve all the citizens of our great county. Experience, commitment, service - for me, good citizenship means service above self. As Commissioner, I listen to and learn from all citizens of Kitsap County. Over the next four years, I want to focus on consolidating services with other jurisdictions to achieve economies of scale, simplify the permitting process through technology and process improvements, and improve job growth by supporting small businesses. I would appreciate your vote to continue as your County Commissioner. Chris Tibbs (Prefers Republican Party) Phone: Chris@ChrisTibbs.com Website: Biography: My family homesteaded on Bainbridge Island in the 1860s. I grew up on that home place, which remains dear to my heart. As a young person, I passed up many educational and career opportunities in order to work and help support my single mother and little sister. It was a high price to pay for the family s security, but I have never regretted it. I have experience in private sector job creation in Kitsap County. My public service includes serving as Vice Chair of the Kitsap County Citizens Budget Committee. Statement: More jobs, not more taxes! We need more quality, high-paying jobs in manufacturing and high technology, so we can expand and diversify our economy. Business and job growth in Kitsap County are increasingly blocked by needless over regulation. My goal as your next Commissioner is to get rid of those needless obstacles and once again make our County friendly to businesses who want to locate here. Our working families and senior citizens can not afford constant tax increases. Let s rein in government costs and generate revenue with business growth. We have been taxed enough! County Commissioner District 2 4 Year Term Linda Simpson (Prefers Republican Party) Phone: linda.simpson@hotmail.com Website: Biography: My life centers around service to country, community and family. I am a Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve. I strongly support public education and hold a Washington Teaching Certificate, serving as staff teacher for the Bremerton Boys and Girls Club. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Biology and Masters Degree in Elementary Education. Through my Navy association, and having lost a leg in a traffic accident, I qualified to compete in the 2012 Warrior Games, winning four medals: three Gold and one Silver. I reside in Bremerton with my husband, Deputy Sheriff Michael Simpson, and our two children. Statement: We need good jobs for our young people, so they don t have to leave our community in order to find work. We must get County government turned around from hindering business to begin welcoming and encouraging business development. Politics as usual simply isn t getting the job done. Our County Commission is caught up in a fairy tale fantasy about ecotourism and trails as solutions to our economic crisis. Wherever I go, people tell me we need more well-paying, wealth-producing jobs. That is the mandate I will carry when I take office as your next County Commissioner. Charlotte Garrido (Prefers Democratic Party) Phone: info@charlottegarrido.com Website: Biography: Elected Experience: Kitsap county commissioner, parks commissioner, and a precinct committee officer in Kitsap County; Other Professional Experience: includes teaching and small business ownership; promoting better transportation, international trade and local university options; leadership in American Planning Association, Washington Boundary Review Board Association.; Community Service: donated countless hours for more than three decades. I created new organizations when needed (like the South Kitsap Community Council and co-founder of the Port Orchard farmers market), and worked with community groups to improve job opportunities, human services, water quality, and land use.; Education: BA in sociology and Master s and PhD degrees in urban design and planning. Statement: Kitsap County is a wonderful place to live, work and play. Our future depends on a strong economy, a healthy environment and local people working together. As your county commissioner these are my priorities! I champion win-win solutions every day. During the recent economic downturn I worked diligently to protect vital core services for Kitsap County taxpayers as the county budget, like your family budget, decreased. I respectfully ask for your vote. With your support I can continue working to balance county budgets, create the jobs we need, engage communities and maintain the special qualities of Kitsap County. Thank you. 8 The Auditor s Office is not responsible for the content of statements or their factual and grammatical accuracy.

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