1972 Washington Initiative 276
Campaign Finance | |||||||||||||
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County results
Yes 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||
| Source: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections[1] | |||||||||||||
| Elections in Washington (state) |
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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 Washington State Public Disclosure Commission in order to provide information to the public about campaign fundraising and expenditures[2] 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%.[3]
The law has since been superseded by the Washington Public Records Act. The current law on the subject is codified in the Revised Code (RCW), Title 42, Chapter 56.[4]
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.
Results
Initiative 276 was approved with 72% of the vote.[5]
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 959,143 | 72.02 | |
| Against | 372,693 | 27.98 | |
| Total | 1,331,836 | 100.00 | |
| Source: Washington Secretary of State | |||
By county
| County[5] | Yes | No | Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,634 | 62.46% | 1,583 | 37.54% | 1,051 | 24.92% | 4,217 |
| Asotin | 3,238 | 63.89% | 1,830 | 36.11% | 1,408 | 27.78% | 5,068 |
| Benton | 19,089 | 68.41% | 8,816 | 31.59% | 10,273 | 36.81% | 27,905 |
| Chelan | 10,705 | 70.46% | 4,489 | 29.54% | 6,216 | 40.91% | 15,194 |
| Clallam | 10,969 | 71.90% | 4,286 | 28.10% | 6,683 | 43.81% | 15,255 |
| Clark | 39,921 | 75.62% | 12,871 | 24.38% | 27,050 | 51.24% | 52,792 |
| Columbia | 1,010 | 51.56% | 949 | 48.44% | 61 | 3.11% | 1,959 |
| Cowlitz | 18,624 | 72.90% | 6,925 | 27.10% | 11,699 | 45.79% | 25,549 |
| Douglas | 4,914 | 69.57% | 2,149 | 30.43% | 2,765 | 39.15% | 7,063 |
| Ferry | 805 | 59.45% | 549 | 40.55% | 256 | 18.91% | 1,354 |
| Franklin | 6,239 | 66.49% | 3,144 | 33.51% | 3,095 | 32.99% | 9,383 |
| Garfield | 935 | 63.74% | 532 | 36.26% | 403 | 27.47% | 1,467 |
| Grant | 9,763 | 68.32% | 4,527 | 31.68% | 5,236 | 36.64% | 14,290 |
| Grays Harbor | 15,351 | 69.81% | 6,640 | 30.19% | 8,711 | 39.61% | 21,991 |
| Island | 7,495 | 73.41% | 2,715 | 26.59% | 4,780 | 46.82% | 10,210 |
| Jefferson | 3,251 | 70.38% | 1,368 | 29.62% | 1,883 | 40.77% | 4,619 |
| King | 365,079 | 76.82% | 110,140 | 23.18% | 254,939 | 53.65% | 475,219 |
| Kitsap | 29,367 | 69.99% | 12,594 | 30.01% | 16,773 | 39.97% | 41,961 |
| Kittitas | 6,660 | 70.62% | 2,771 | 29.38% | 3,889 | 41.24% | 9,431 |
| Klickitat | 2,997 | 61.29% | 1,893 | 38.71% | 1,104 | 22.58% | 4,890 |
| Lewis | 11,786 | 61.76% | 7,299 | 38.24% | 4,487 | 23.51% | 19,085 |
| Lincoln | 2,966 | 61.23% | 1,878 | 38.77% | 1,088 | 22.46% | 4,844 |
| Mason | 6,764 | 72.03% | 2,627 | 27.97% | 4,137 | 44.05% | 9,391 |
| Okanogan | 6,162 | 64.24% | 3,430 | 35.76% | 2,732 | 28.48% | 9,592 |
| Pacific | 4,511 | 70.62% | 1,877 | 29.38% | 2,634 | 41.23% | 6,388 |
| Pend Oreille | 1,716 | 63.02% | 1,007 | 36.98% | 709 | 26.04% | 2,723 |
| Pierce | 92,636 | 71.21% | 37,455 | 28.79% | 55,181 | 42.42% | 130,091 |
| San Juan | 1,917 | 74.65% | 651 | 25.35% | 1,266 | 49.30% | 2,568 |
| Skagit | 16,606 | 70.91% | 6,813 | 29.09% | 9,793 | 41.82% | 23,419 |
| Skamania | 1,388 | 58.66% | 978 | 41.34% | 410 | 17.33% | 2,366 |
| Snohomish | 71,232 | 73.84% | 25,235 | 26.16% | 45,997 | 47.68% | 96,467 |
| Spokane | 78,227 | 66.51% | 39,383 | 33.49% | 38,844 | 33.03% | 117,610 |
| Stevens | 3,917 | 54.25% | 3,303 | 45.75% | 614 | 8.50% | 7,220 |
| Thurston | 25,718 | 71.94% | 10,030 | 28.06% | 15,688 | 43.88% | 35,748 |
| Wahkiakum | 995 | 67.09% | 488 | 32.91% | 507 | 34.19% | 1,483 |
| Walla Walla | 11,123 | 65.96% | 5,741 | 34.04% | 5,382 | 31.91% | 16,864 |
| Whatcom | 22,967 | 68.46% | 10,582 | 31.54% | 12,385 | 36.92% | 33,549 |
| Whitman | 10,693 | 69.50% | 4,693 | 30.50% | 6,000 | 39.00% | 15,386 |
| Yakima | 28,773 | 60.93% | 18,452 | 39.07% | 10,321 | 21.85% | 47,225 |
| Totals | 959,143 | 72.02% | 372,693 | 27.98% | 586,450 | 44.03% | 1,331,836 |
References
- ^ "1972 Initiative General Election Results - Washington". David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ "Public records disclosure act". Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ "1972 Initiative General Election Results - Washington". David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ Disclosure — campaign finances — lobbying
- ^ a b Kramer, Lud (November 7, 1972). "Elections Search Results November 1972 General". Secretary of State of Washington. Archived from the original on July 19, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2026.