What are the regulations for conducting a public referendum in a municipality?
In Washington, municipal referendums are regulated by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 29A.40. These regulations determine the process for holding a public referendum within a municipality. First, the municipality must pass a resolution to submit the question to the voters. This resolution must state the question or proposition the public is being asked to decide, the ballot title, the election date, and the language to appear on the ballot. In order to become qualified to be placed on the ballot, an initiative must obtain signatures from a certain number of registered voters. This number is determined by where the referendum will take place and can range from one to five percent of the total votes cast in the last general election. The voter registration deadline for a municipal referendum is 28 days prior to the election. All pertinent information such as the ballot title and language must be provided to the county auditor at least 35 days before the election. It is important for the public to be informed about the decisions being made through the referendum. This can occur through public meetings and through advertisements in local newspapers. Finally, the county auditor is responsible for counting and tabulating the referendum votes and certifying the results. Once the results are certified, the decision made by the voters is final.
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