WA Sec. of State candidate believes in local decision making

Julie Anderson, an independent candidate for Washington Secretary of State, believes in ‘local choice.’

She appeared on The Gee and Ursula Show, the day after her opponent Steve Hobbs.

WA Secretary of State stands by integrity of election process

“Local choice is an important part of Americanism. And it’s how we innovate,” Anderson said. “Heck, we wouldn’t have a vote by mail system in Washington state, if there wasn’t a thing called ‘local option’ that was respected and supported by the Secretary of State.

“I wouldn’t even have the right to vote. Women’s suffrage started out as a local option if you will,” she continued. “So I think it’s important to allow communities to do what they think is best, as long as we’re adhering to standards.”

No indication ‘Ranked Voting’ is bad for minority communities

Anderson, currently the Pierce County auditor, and Hobbs were the top two candidates in Washington’s ranked primary, something Anderson supports.

She says there is no evidence that ranked voting has a negative impact on minority communities, as her opponent suggested. “That’s why I support the Washington State Voting Rights Act. The act, when it gets implemented, is going to require local jurisdictions to prove that it will not have a negative impact on protected populations.”

Secretary of State race is neck-in-neck

Anderson is in a tight race that some polls have as a toss-up. A recent Crosscut/Elway poll revealed that 40% of voters are undecided in the Secretary of State race. Of those committed, Hobbs leads Anderson 31% – 29%.

Hobbs was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to fill the vacancy left by Kim Wyman when she left to join the Biden administration.

Anderson: Secretary of State job should be non-partisan

For the past several decades, Washingtonians have elected a Republican as Secretary of State. Hobbs is a Democrat. Anderson is an independent and believes the position should be non-partisan.

“The Mariners are on our minds, right? How would you feel if there was an umpire at home plate, calling balls and strikes, that was wearing the other team’s jersey,” Anderson said. “You probably wouldn’t trust those calls, and it would completely turn you off of the game. That’s why I’m not entering this race wearing anybody’s team jersey.”

Elections are secure

Anderson does agree with Hobbs that state elections are secure.

“So many of the misconceptions about our voter registration rules and the integrity of those roles are because people aren’t working with complete information,” Anderson told KIRO Newsradio. “Every single election administrator in all 39 counties – if a resident has a concern or a specific example about errant ballots, or somebody that you think isn’t eligible, give us a call.”

Anderson was asked if anything could be done about low voter turnout.

“That hurts my heart,” she said. “I think one of the reasons that turnout is low in off-year elections, is because of people’s relationship and understanding of local government. So this gets back to civics and U.S. government and how to reengage in adults’ and understanding of why local government matters.

“We’ve got to start telling each other that elections are important and that I hope you participate.”

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.