State: Some 8,000 initiative signatures may have been faked
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Three paid signature gatherers apparently committed extensive fraud while collecting support for two Washington initiatives, elections officials said Wednesday.
The secretary of state's office said many of the 8,000 signatures submitted by the collectors were invalid. The problematic filings were linked to a measure that would extend the time for initiative signature collection, and another proposal that would require companies to label genetically modified food.
Both initiatives are still valid because the remaining signatures were sufficient to get the measures certified, election officials said.
Secretary of State Kim Wyman said the cases involve Washington's worst apparent initiative fraud in recent history.
"This kind of disrespect of the voters and our cherished initiative process cannot be tolerated, and I want these cases fully investigated and, if appropriate, as it certainly appears, I want these people prosecuted," Wyman said in a statement.
The secretary of state's office declined to name the signature gatherers but is turning over its findings to the Washington State Patrol for investigation. Officials spotted the problems during their review of thousands of petition sheets submitted by the initiative sponsors.
One of the solicitors who collected support for both campaigns submitted more than 5,000 signatures, with only about 4 to 5 percent of them being valid.
Paid signature gathering has become a common part of Washington's initiative process. Wyman said the secretary of state's office has always feared that the pay-per-signature method encourages bad behavior.
"The good news is that we do have rigorous fraud-check procedures and law enforcement that takes this seriously," Wyman said.
The secretary of state's office said many of the 8,000 signatures submitted by the collectors were invalid. The problematic filings were linked to a measure that would extend the time for initiative signature collection, and another proposal that would require companies to label genetically modified food.
Both initiatives are still valid because the remaining signatures were sufficient to get the measures certified, election officials said.
Secretary of State Kim Wyman said the cases involve Washington's worst apparent initiative fraud in recent history.
"This kind of disrespect of the voters and our cherished initiative process cannot be tolerated, and I want these cases fully investigated and, if appropriate, as it certainly appears, I want these people prosecuted," Wyman said in a statement.
The secretary of state's office declined to name the signature gatherers but is turning over its findings to the Washington State Patrol for investigation. Officials spotted the problems during their review of thousands of petition sheets submitted by the initiative sponsors.
One of the solicitors who collected support for both campaigns submitted more than 5,000 signatures, with only about 4 to 5 percent of them being valid.
Paid signature gathering has become a common part of Washington's initiative process. Wyman said the secretary of state's office has always feared that the pay-per-signature method encourages bad behavior.
"The good news is that we do have rigorous fraud-check procedures and law enforcement that takes this seriously," Wyman said.
Now if they would be as meticulous when looking into actual votes. We have people out there who vote more than once and think it is perfectly OK. If those people are caught they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent and then some. Instead nothing happenes to them.
I like of like the idea that you must go to a polling place show ID and then dip your finger in ink so you can't vote twice.
Awww say it ain't so...
I'm not even remotely suprised over this story. I am suprised it took this long before something like this was discovered AND made public.
So Eyeman now relies on bogus signatures for his job?
Fraudulent signatures? Then toss them out. Criminal activity? Then file charges. Enough signatures anyway? Then vote! I guess I don't see the problem...all the bases seem to have been covered.
Damn. I really don't want people to vote on extending the time to collect signatures...VOTE NO. I HATE getting accosted by these folks every time I have to go get groceries or something else. It's a huge annoyance and it should go away.
@BluefireJaguar Democracy upsets you that much?
Coincidentally, there were multiple reports of election fraud last year too. Weird!
I hope this doesn't affect the initiatives because I want the  proposal that would require companies to label genetically modified food to be on the ballot.
@Darn it! Did you take the time to read the entire third paragraph? All one sentence of it?
@dome200q I did read the entire article. I was referring to this giving the proposal a bad name and voting against it because of the fraud instead of voting based on whether they are for or against gmo labeling.
@dome200q @Darn it! No problem. My error. I should have been more specific in my initial post.
@Darn it!
Sorry, maybe if I had somewhere read that you were concerned about any residue negative stigma rubbing off onto your initiative because of the actions of others (vice if it was still on the ballot) I might not have made that mistakeâ¦..
Some of these signature gatherers are paid by the signature or bonuses to get a  lot of signatures. Just capitalism working its magic
@Blindman"Just capitalism working its magic"
More like capitalism at it's worse - anything for a buck, never mind how it affects the people.
@OrcasThunder @Blindman I think Blindman used capitalism incorrectly instead of just, "that is the way things are when you are a criminal". Most capitalists are not criminals.
@Grumpa@OrcasThunder@Blindman" Most capitalists are not criminals."
True.
And most liberals are not socialists.Â
I happen to like capitalism - as long as it allows room for everyone to use it to get ahead, without hurting others.Â
It's sorta like the Gandhi quote "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. "...
Even aside from the fraud issue, they often have creepy-looking people pushing these, people I wouldn't want to have our home address and other personal information.Â
And nothing is more annoying than having to pass scammers and panhandlers perched like vultures outside the grocery store entrances like we're fish in a barrel for whatever game they're running that day.Â
If I see anyone except little kids waiting out there, I turn around, get back in the car and drive somewhere else to shop.Â
"The good news is that we do have rigorous fraud-check procedures "
It would be just swell if we had the same procedures in place for voter fraud.
Which initiatives?
@jr. assoc. to the deputy director of gov. accounta
Second paragraph:
The problematic filings were linked to a measure that would extend the time for initiative signature collection, and another proposal that would require companies to label genetically modified food.
5000 individual counts of fraud for monetary gain? Â I hope 5000 equals at least one felony count and some time in prison.
A report about invalid petition signatures, and Timmy isn't mentioned?Â
How can this be?
OK, sarcasm aside...(well, maybe)...when are they going to eliminate using paid solicitors for these efforts?
This comment has been deleted
@the unvarnished truth " Why should they?"
So...are you saying that you favor paying for signatures?
@the unvarnished truth@OrcasThunder"An all-volunteer Legislature would be just as called for."
As far as I know, no-one has been drafted to serve in the Legislature. So...they are ALL volunteers.
@Carvin_OGee @OrcasThunder @the unvarnished truth Considering that many of them are also running a business - where they could make more money if they were not in the Legislature - I'd say that they are giving up a lot to serve. And they do so by choice.
@OrcasThunder @the unvarnished truth volunteers?  at those salaries?  you are kidding, right?