election-law_gl-digest     Friday, March 29 2002     Volume 01 : Number 176




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Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 18:51:01 -0800
From: "Even, Jeff (ATG)" <JeffE@ATG.WA.GOV>
Subject: Reapportionment

In response to Mr. Levine's question regarding reapportionment I am in
general agreement with Mr. Woocher's statement that there is no general
constitutional impediment to staggered terms and reapportionment.  This
commonly arises as the state level with regard to "hold-over
senators"--members of the Senate elected to four-year terms with two years
still remaining at the time of the first election using the new districts.
A decade ago I drafted a formal Opinion of the Attorney General regarding
related points, that may or may not be of some help.  AGO 1992 No. 12, 1992
WL 512192 (Wash. 1992).  As the cite indicates, it is available on Westlaw
although too old to be on our office web site.

I would not venture into the specifics of the city charter.  

Jeff Even
Assistant Attorney General
Solicitor General's Team
PO Box 40100
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
voice: (360) 586-0728
fax: (360) 664-2963
jeffe@atg.wa.gov

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End of election-law_gl-digest V1 #176
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