Washington State PTA opposes all three initiatives on the November ballot, and PTAs around the state have been adopting those positions as their own. If yours hasn’t yet, leaving enough time for you to communicate your PTA’s opposition out to your community is vital.
Key deadlines
Ballots are mailed Friday, October 16 — the first day of Washington’s 18-day voting period. Plenty of voters fill out their ballots and send them back within the week.
So the question isn’t whether your PTA can still hold a vote. You can, for weeks yet. The question is whether you’ll have enough time between your PTA voting on the positions and when your members turn in their ballots to tell them anything.
Timeline counting backwards
- November 3, 8 p.m. — ballots must be in an official drop box or postmarked. Same-day in-person registration stays open until 8 p.m.
- October 26 — last day to register online or by mail.
- October 16 — ballots mailed.
- Around October 2 — adopt a position by this date and you have two full weeks to talk to your members before their ballots arrive.
- September 22 — last practical day to send ten days’ notice for a membership meeting in that window.
What that means this week
A membership vote is our recommended practice, and it gives you stronger footing with the members you’ll be talking to afterward. A special membership meeting needs ten days’ notice under Article 5, Section 10 of the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws.
A board vote has more flexibility with the timing. A special board meeting needs five days’ notice under the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws Article 5, Section 9. A board that calls for a special meeting on a Monday can meet that Saturday.
If you’ve already adopted a position opposing one or more of the initiatives
Then your calendar starts now, not in October. Get on your October newsletter, your October membership meeting agenda, social media, and whatever channel your families actually read and urge your members to vote no. This is a friendly reminder that a PTA position can’t travel on district resources. This means no backpack mail, no school newsletter, no reader board, and no school event.
The materials
- Votes to Oppose Ballot Initiatives: Steps for Local PTAs and Councils — notice requirements, sample motion language, and what to do once your position is adopted.
Questions? Email PTAadvocacydir@wastatepta.org or join us in the WSPTA Advocacy Slack: sign up here.