Washington’s statewide domestic partnership law is at risk and we need your help to save it. A ballot measure attempting to repeal the domestic partnership law is on the November 3 ballot.  We have 6 weeks before ballots are sent to voters. Six weeks to be sure voters know to vote “APPROVED” on Referendum 71 to preserve the domestic partnership law.

Gary Randall, head of Faith and Freedom Political Action Committee and close collaborator of Protect Marriage Washington’s Larry Stickney, is apparently afraid of a well-informed Washington electorate.  He says he’s hoping that some voters go to the polls confused.  In fact, it appears that he’s relying on it:

Randall said confusion on just one side could be beneficial.

“I’m hoping that everyone understands on our side that they’re to vote “reject,” and everyone on the other side thinks they’re rejecting Referendum 71, so then we win,” he said.

This is a strange admission from a member of the Christian clergy.  But Randall’s apparent hypocrisy is not what’s important here.  What’s important is Randall’s strategy in light of recent polls and the double-edged sword they represent.A majority of Washington voters have consistently voiced their support for full domestic partnerships or marriage equality.  The latest Washington Poll, conducted in 2008, reports that about 29% and 37% of voters support full domestic partnerships or marriage equality, respectively.  Taken together, this indicates that a comfortable majority of voters, 66%, support what the new domestic partnership bill provides.  But! if Gary Randall is successful in convincing much of that 29% who support full domestic partnerships only that the referendum is about marriage and not domestic partnerships, we lose.

Add to this concern the Bradley effect, where aspirational polls like the UW poll often overestimate support for minority candidates and ballot issues, and one can only conclude that we need a very strong media presence to educate the public about Referendum 71.

Randall and his cohort will undoubtedly attempt to confuse the public through some combination of expensive media ads, robo calls and mailers.  We already know from Randall & Stickney’s campaign rhetoric and the Referendum 71 petition itself that the anti-domestic partnership crowd is not shy about using apparent falsehoods, hyperbole and unsubstantiated claims.  We absolutely must get our truthful message out clearly and forcefully, and we need your help to do it.

Please DONATE to Washington Families Standing together.

Voters will be asked to approve or reject the domestic partnership law. Vote APPROVED on Referendum 71 to preserve the domestic partnership law.