The Washington 2004 Gubernatorial Election Crisis: The Necessity of Restoring Public Confidence in the Electoral Process

This Article details the plethora of problems associated with Washington State's 2004 gubernatorial election and explores the proposed electoral reforms in light of prior threats to the electoral process. The Article postulates that electoral reforms in the administration of elections also present an important opportunity to provide minority communities with greater access to the political process. Part II of this Article begins with a history ofvoting discrimination in the United States. This history provides a context to the 2004 gubernatorial election in Washington.

In addition, this history provides an important background context for assessing whether reforms in the administration of elections will have a corresponding impact on the political integration of minority communities. Part II closes with a brief discussion of the possible convergence of efforts to reform the electoral process and to incorporate minority communities into the body politic. Part III discusses the events that unfolded in the 2004 gubernatorial election and describes the crisis that ensued. Finally, Part IV provides a brief overview of legislation enacted in the Washington State 2005 Regular Legislative Session in order to assess whether all of the major problems identified in the 2004 gubernatorial election have been addressed.