Washington State Judges and the Caucuses

[spindrifter]

http://www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_ethics/?fa=pos_ethics.dispopin&mode=0801

State of Washington
Ethics Advisory Committee
Opinion 08-01


Question

May a judicial officer attend a political party caucus? May a judicial officer vote in a presidential primary if participation requires a voter to sign a party oath?

Washington residents may participate in the presidential selection process by voting in a presidential primary and/or by attending a political party caucus.

Voters who participate in a political party caucus are required to sign an oath declaring their party affiliation. Voters participating in the presidential primary are asked to sign an oath submitted by the political parties indicating the voter has not participated in the other party’s caucus process. Each party will receive a list of voters who chose to affiliate with that party in the primary.

Answer

CJC Canon 7(A)(1)(e) provides that judicial officers may not identify themselves as members of a political party, except as necessary to vote in an election. This exception permits a judicial officer to participate in the presidential primary and to sign the oath submitted by the political parties.

The exception in Canon 7(A)(1)(e) is limited to participation in an election and does not extend to other political party activities such as a political party caucus. Also see Discipline of Blauvelt, 115 Wn.2d 735, 801 P.2d 235 (1990).

Opinion 08-01

[newmajority]

1. Not sure why you posted this, but to put it in context.....

The political affiliation question here is based on the fact that judges in county and state courts in Washington are officially non-partisan, and that's how they are listed on the ballot. (Though those of us in the know can usually figure out which side of the fence they're on by who's endorsing them)

And again, there is no such thing as party registration in Washington state, so the whole question is hypothetical anyway.