Legislative Assembly Voting

How WSPTA members decide what we fight for

This is member-driven advocacy. Members write the issues. Members debate them. Members vote. WSPTA’s priorities aren’t decided for members — they’re decided by members.

How the voting works

Delegates vote on a series of items over the two days. A few of these are procedural, and the heart of it is the issues and resolutions members have submitted.

First, the ground rules. Delegates adopt the agenda (the order of business) and the Standing Rules (how long speakers can talk, how amendments are submitted, how debate runs). Settling these first keeps the two days fair and on schedule.

Then, the issues and resolutions. This is the main event — the proposals members will debate and vote to adopt.

Legislative issues focus WSPTA’s advocacy on specific changes we’ll ask the Legislature to make in the next two sessions.
Resolutions are longer-standing position statements — what PTA believes on a topic — that authorize WSPTA and local PTAs to advocate on it at the state and local level.

What happens in the room:

Only the key language is up for debate. For issues, that’s the title and description statement; for resolutions, the title and the resolved clauses.
Amendments are welcome. Delegates can propose changes to strengthen or clarify a proposal before the final vote.
The breakout sessions are where the work happens. At the issue and resolution breakouts, delegates ask questions and coordinate on amendments before proposals reach the floor.
Every delegate has a voice. Any delegate can speak for or against a proposal during debate, following the Standing Rules.

New to parliamentary procedure? Don’t worry — it’s more approachable than it sounds. The How Things Work guide walks through discussion, debate, and voting step by step.

What’s on the ballot this year

Delegates will consider eight legislative issues and two resolutions, all submitted by members. Full background on each is in the 2026 Legislative Assembly Voters’ Guide.

Legislative issues

Empower Communities to Build Schools Where Students Thrive
Strategic Investments to Improve Student Outcomes
Fund Climate-Ready Schools: Clean Air, Heat-Safe
Ensuring Literacy & Math Proficiency for All Students
Addressing Funding, Inclusion, and Support in Special Education
Addressing the Student Mental Health Crisis
Keep Students Safer from Gun Violence
Restoring Focus with Personal Electronic Devices Off and Away for the Day

Resolutions

Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, and Developmental Coordination Disorder
Safe Siting for Battery Energy Storage Systems

The Top 5. After the issues are adopted, delegates rank them based on what matters most to the communities they represent. The five highest-ranked become WSPTA’s Top 5 — the priorities that guide our advocacy in Olympia over the two-year legislative cycle.

Who votes — and how to be part of it

All PTA members are welcome at Legislative Assembly, including students. Only credentialed delegates cast votes: you don’t need to serve on your PTA board. If you’d like to represent your PTA, talk to your PTA president. Online registration closes at noon on Tuesday, October 13.

Get ready to vote:

Voters’ Guide: background and full text for every issue and resolution
How Things Work: a walkthrough of the Assembly from start to finish
Parliamentary Procedure Simplified: the key motions and terms in plain language
Debate and Voting Process: a one-page flow chart of how a proposal moves from introduction to final vote
Breakout Session Tips: how to make the most of the issue and resolution breakouts
Amendment Best Practices: how to write an amendment that’s clear and likely to succeed