Partisan/Non-Partisan, Part 2

By Rick Sorrels

Reference my first article on Partisan/Nonpartisan elections to which I spoke briefly on 23 Mar 2006. One of the Commissioners believed that definitions for partrisan and nonpartisan were contained in the WAC.

I made a careful review of the WAC and could NOT find definitions for the terms “partisan” or “nonpartisan”. The terms remain undefined, ambiguous, and varied in meaning.

Including undefined terms in proposed Charter amendments, and making vague reference to “general law” (which both Black’s and Ballentine’s define as “statutes”) when such statutes do not exist is a recipe for future legal challenges and brouhahas which the citizens should not have to endure. Please consider tightening up the language.

Rick Sorrels March 2006