Washington Initiative 276

Elections in Washington
Federal elections Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Presidential primaries and caucuses Democratic caucuses 2004 2008 2012 2016 Republican caucuses 2008 2012 2016 Senate elections 1980 1983 S 1986 1988 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 House of Representatives elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
State elections General elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Attorney General elections 2000 2004 2008 Secretary of State elections 2004 2008 2012 2016 Executive branch elections 2004 2008 2012 State Senate elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2016 State House elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2016 State Supreme Court elections 2004 2006 2008 2012 Other judicial elections 2008
Ballot measures 1972: 276 2004: 872 884 892 297 2295 2005: 912 2006: 920 933 937 4233 2007: 960 957 2008: 1000 1029 2009: 71 2012: 74 502 1185 1240 2013: 517 522 2016: 732
Local elections 2006 2008 2009
Seattle Mayoral elections 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 Ballot measures Sound Transit 3

Initiative to the People 276 (or the Public Disclosure Act) was a law approved by the people of Washington in a vote (plebiscite) held in 1972. The law required the state government to establish the Public Disclosure Commission in order to provide information to the public about campaign fundraising and expenditures^[1] The initiative was passed by the people at the same time as the November 1972 general election, by a margin of 72.02% to 27.98%.^[2]

The law has since been superseded by the Public Records Act. The current law on the subject is codified in the Revised Code (RCW), Chapter 47, Section 17.^[3]

Full title

The official long title of the Public Disclosure Act was

An ACT relating to campaign financing, activities of lobbyists, access to public records, and financial affairs of elective officers and candidates; requiring disclosure of sources of campaign contributions, objects of campaign expenditures, and amounts thereof; limiting campaign expenditures; regulating the activities of lobbyists and requiring reports of their expenditures; restricting use of public funds to influence legislative decisions; governing access to public records; specifying the manner in which public agencies will maintain such records; requiring disclosure of elective officials' and candidates' financial interests and activities; establishing a public disclosure commission to administer the act; and providing civil penalties.

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