Citizens in Charge

The case in Washington state over whether or not the names and information of petition signers can be released to the public will be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court. The announcement came today and will finally resolve the issue after much debate over the last few months.

We have blogged numerous times before about the case as it’s made its way through the legal system. The case refers to Referendum 71, a measure on gay-marriage in the state of Washington. Supporters of gay marriage wished to have the names and information of those who signed the petition made public.

Signers of petitions need to have their information remain private, and that goes for any and all ballot initiatives no matter what the issue. Citizens should not be opened up to potential harassment from those who do not agree with them or who would vote the other way on a given initiative. Signing a petition to put a measure on the ballot doesn’t necessarily mean you would vote Yes or No…it means you want that measure to go before the people for a vote.