From Our Corner

Quilts of Valor exhibit on display in July

The Secretary of State’s next office exhibit will salute American combat troops through quilting. Thirteen beautiful handmade quilts created by volunteer quilters from around Washington will be on display in the Secretary of State’s front lobby during the month of July. The office is on the second floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia. The quilts are part of the national Quilts of Valor program. Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who comes from a family of quilters and is the… Read more

Space Needle anniversary week, Photo #1

Image For the past 50 years, it's been the world-famous jewel of Seattle's impressive skyline. Ever since it opened in 1962 as the most visible attraction of that year's Seattle World's Fair, the Space Needle has

Over 100 years of Senate group photos

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(Images courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)

With the Legislature a month into its scheduled 105-day session, it’s worth taking a look back – or waaay back – at past legislative bodies. Thanks to Washington’s… Read more

State Library's Sherbo receives national honor

Laura Sherbo of the Washington State Library is the 2012 recipient of a prestigious national award for her leadership of library services in Washington prisons and state mental hospitals. Sherbo, manager of branch library services, was announced this week as winner the annual achievement award of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the American Library Association. According to her colleagues at the Washington State Library and leaders of… Read more

From Digital Archives: Washington passes

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Just east of Snoqualmie Pass (Photos courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)

Anyone who has driven across the Cascades did so by going over one of the several mountain passes that offer incredible views and recreational… Read more

From the Digital Archives: Deception Pass

Image Anyone crossing the Deception Pass Bridge is treated to one the most scenic and stunning views in all of Washington. The area around the bridge also is pretty spectacular, as this 1950s photo shows. The shot looks to… Read more

5 Questions: What is a tax advisory vote?

Confused by the five tax advisory Our Election Division and the legislative hotline are getting lots of calls on

Special session set to start March 12

This makes it official: Below is the proclamation issued by Gov. Gregoire scheduling a special session to begin Monday, March 12 at noon. The 60-day regular session ended Thursday night without the House and Senate agreeing on a supplemental operating… Read more

From the Archives: historic logging photos

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(Photos courtesy Washington State Digital Archives)

Logging is one of the industries that helped literally build Washington and put it on the map during its territorial days more than a century ago. While… Read more

Ready, Set, Vote!

Back for its 9th year is the Washington State Mock Election! The Mock Election is a non-partisan educational program that gives students a taste of what it's like to research issues and "vote." The hope is that students will enjoy the experience and will look forward to getting registered and participating when they turn 18. Voting is free and quite simple. Anytime between Monday, Oct. 28, and noon on Nov. 1 students can go online to cast their vote. Students in grades K-12 will "vote… Read more

Washington Counties, oh how they have changed!

Image On November 11th, 1889 Washington was declared the forty-second state by President Benjamin Harrison. Well, it’s 124 years later and oh so much has happened in our beautiful Evergreen State! The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, eruption of Mount… Read more

Veterans Day

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As the anticipation of a three day weekend approaches, the Office of the Secretary of State remembers the reason why Monday is a federal holiday- to actively honor our… Read more

Bird's-eye view from Capitol in 1950s

From the Archives: Apples!

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(Photo courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)

For many people, Washington means apples. In fact, for many years our state has been the top apple producer in the nation and a top exporter… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington: Capitol Lake

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(Photo courtesy of Jeff Martin)

The view of Capitol Lake and the Olympia waterfront from the Capitol Campus is always scenic, even more so on a sunny day… Read more

WA Election 2014 gets underway officially soon

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Snagging Millennial: An OSOS, Foley Institute

It's a familiar, but vexing topic among election administrators across Washington and America: how do you engage "Millennials," those 18 to 30-ish, in public life and voting? The sector typically votes at lower levels than their elders. Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a veteran of state, local and national election reform efforts, and a panel of experts tried it on for size Friday at a Capitol forum sponsored by Wyman, the Foley Institute for Public Policy & Public Service, and the Henry… Read more

Vote for your favorite “Archives Treasure”

Nowadays, we have opinion polls on just about everything. Not wanting to miss the poll train, we’re offering you a chance to sound off on some of our State Archives’ many interesting documents, collections, photos and other historical gems. Starting this month, we’re featuring various “Archives Treasures.” Over the past few days, we’ve showcased three of these treasures for viewing. The first “contestant” is the state boxing license applications submitted by heavyweight legends Muhammad Ali… Read more

And how good is your information literacy?

Secretary of State Wyman is proud to announce that October is National Information Literacy Awareness Month in our state. Wyman promotes libraries throughout Washington, and her office includes the Washington State Library, as well as the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. “It’s a good month to thank a librarian and a good month to celebrate the gift of knowledge and literacy,” Wyman said. Gov. Jay… Read more

SecWyman visits Boeing's Everett plant

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Rich White, Boeing's State & Local Government Relations manager for the NW Region, shows Secretary Wyman one of the planes being built at Everett facility. (Photos courtesy of Boeing)

When some of the world's most… Read more