Groups worried about ‘wrong-way votes’ on R-71
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Unless a court challenge stops the process, voters will get to have their say on Referendum 71 in November.
Already controversial, the vote will decide the fate of the state's "Everything but marriage" law, which would grant registered domestic partners all legal benefits enjoyed by married couples.
But the vote is causing confusion, with both sides fearing people will vote the wrong way.
For or against domestic partnerships, it all boils down to this: state referenda are votes to uphold existing state law.
Gov. Gregoire signed the law in May, so a "yes" vote keeps it in place. A "no" vote takes Senate Bill 5688 off the books.
"We're not now voting on Referendum 71. We've already done that," says Gary Randall with the Faith and Freedom Foundation. "We're voting on the bill that Referendum 71 successfully put on the ballot. So, we're voting to reject that."
Washington Families Standing Together supports the domestic partnership legislation and has boxes of literature explaining the benefits of domestic partnership laws.
But explaining why gay rights supports should vote "yes" can seem counterintuitive.
"There is something called wrong-way voting, which is where people support a position, and then they vote the other way because they don't understand how the question is phrased," says Josh Friedes, with Washington Families Standing Together.
State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said lots of people are confused.
"They were against Referendum 71 getting on the ballot. But now we're trying to convince them they need to be for it, voting yes," he said. "If we can untangle that confusion, I think we'll win."
Still confused? Protect Marriage Washington and gay rights groups say you won't be by the time ballots arrive. Both plan huge campaigns explaining what "yes" and "no" votes really mean.
"If people understand what it does, it's actually not so confusing," Friedes said.
Randall said confusion on just one side could be beneficial.
"I'm hoping that everyone understands on our side that they're to vote "reject," and everyone on the other side thinks they're rejecting Referendum 71, so then we win," he said.
Washington Families Standing Together says R-71 shouldn't even be on the ballot, arguing that the state illegally accepted questionable signatures on petitions.
A Thurston County judge will hear the case on Tuesday.
Already controversial, the vote will decide the fate of the state's "Everything but marriage" law, which would grant registered domestic partners all legal benefits enjoyed by married couples.
But the vote is causing confusion, with both sides fearing people will vote the wrong way.
For or against domestic partnerships, it all boils down to this: state referenda are votes to uphold existing state law.
Gov. Gregoire signed the law in May, so a "yes" vote keeps it in place. A "no" vote takes Senate Bill 5688 off the books.
"We're not now voting on Referendum 71. We've already done that," says Gary Randall with the Faith and Freedom Foundation. "We're voting on the bill that Referendum 71 successfully put on the ballot. So, we're voting to reject that."
Washington Families Standing Together supports the domestic partnership legislation and has boxes of literature explaining the benefits of domestic partnership laws.
But explaining why gay rights supports should vote "yes" can seem counterintuitive.
"There is something called wrong-way voting, which is where people support a position, and then they vote the other way because they don't understand how the question is phrased," says Josh Friedes, with Washington Families Standing Together.
State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said lots of people are confused.
"They were against Referendum 71 getting on the ballot. But now we're trying to convince them they need to be for it, voting yes," he said. "If we can untangle that confusion, I think we'll win."
Still confused? Protect Marriage Washington and gay rights groups say you won't be by the time ballots arrive. Both plan huge campaigns explaining what "yes" and "no" votes really mean.
"If people understand what it does, it's actually not so confusing," Friedes said.
Randall said confusion on just one side could be beneficial.
"I'm hoping that everyone understands on our side that they're to vote "reject," and everyone on the other side thinks they're rejecting Referendum 71, so then we win," he said.
Washington Families Standing Together says R-71 shouldn't even be on the ballot, arguing that the state illegally accepted questionable signatures on petitions.
A Thurston County judge will hear the case on Tuesday.
