5 - 10 min Archives - Page 7 of 8

Opening Ceremonies

The first week of the legislative session, especially after an election year, is filled with many ceremonial elements. In addition to the agenda setting speeches given by the Speaker of the House Laurie Jenkins, President of the Senate Lt. Governor Denny Heck, and Governor Bob Ferguson, legislative work started. Legislators began meeting in their committees, hearing bills. With over 40 committees meeting between the House and the Senate, there was a lot for Legislators to do! And with 1 out of every 5 members of the Legislature being new this year, the Capitol Campus was filled with many people smiling and looking for the most direct way out of the Legislative building. Essential Questions

Candidate Filing Week

At the Secretary of State’s office, the first week of May is also known as FILING WEEK! Candidates who want to run for office fill out their candidate declaration forms and pay their filing fee, officially making them eligible to be on the ballot. While this process is generally procedural and ceremonial in nature, there are laws and formalities followed that ensure that the process is equitable and fair for both the candidate and the voter. Essential Question:

Voter’s Pamphlet and Video Guide

Every year, Washington residents receive a Voters’ Pamphlet in their mailbox prior to the election. Along with the Video Voters Guide produced by TVW, the Voters’ Pamphlet is a powerful tool for Washingtonians, allowing them to hear from the candidates in their own words, regardless of how much media coverage they receive. The Secretary of State’s office does not fact check any candidate statement. In this lesson, students will hear from the Secretary of State and the Lieutenant Governor about the importance of this election information. Essential Questions:

Ballot Hand Recount

The August 2024 Primary Election resulted in Washington State’s closest statewide race in history! The race for who will be in the General Election for our Commissioner of Public Lands came down to just 51 votes, which triggered a mandatory hand recount. So, what do the County Auditors and their election staff, who count the ballots, do during a hand recount? How does the recount work? Essential Questions:

Elections: What’s at Stake

While the presidential election will dominate the media coverage, mainstream and social, and conversations in the classroom, who wins the Statewide Elections will directly affect your day to day life. This video will provide background information about the state of Washington races post the August Primary Election and pre the November Election. Essential Questions:

Balancing Security and Access

Importance of Debates

Debates between candidates have become an integral part of the election cycle. While millions of people tune in for the Presidential debates, the same cannot be said for the Statewide races, despite the fact that these debates are occurring and are televised or streamed so the electorate can be more informed. Viewers will learn about State Debates, the purpose of debates, what the electorate can learn from a debate, and how the media prepares to moderate a debate. Essential Questions:

The Initiative Process

A hallmark of the Progressive Era, the initiative and referendum processes were amended into Washington’s State Constitution in 1912. The initiative process allows Washingtonians to directly propose new legislation that will go on the ballot for voters to support or reject, while the referendum process allows voters to directly reject laws already enacted by the legislature. University of Washington Law scholar, Professor Hugh Spitzer, describes the benefits and potential pitfalls of the initiative process. Essential Questions:

WA Republican State Convention

Teach With TVW takes to the road to learn what state party conventions are all about. In April of 2024, the Washington State Republican Party, chaired by State Representative Jim Walsh, hosted their State Convention in Spokane. Understand the reasoning behind endorsements, hear interviews with delegates, and see for yourself how it all unfolded. And stay tuned for our coverage of the Democratic State Convention in June! Essential Questions:

Labor Council COPE Convention

Candidate Endorsements: how do they really work? The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is the umbrella organization for over 600 labor unions in the state. In May, they held their Committee on Political Education (COPE) Endorsing Convention, where candidates from both parties came to talk to union delegates in hopes of earning the endorsement of the WSLC. After watching this 5 minute video, you will understand the role that the unions can play in an election. Essential Questions: