A Washington territory civil war era law (1865) made it possible to prevent anyone convicted of “infamous crimes” to be prohibited from being elected to a public office.
Any registered voter in Washington may “challenge the right of a candidate to appear on the general election ballot after a primary” … “(3) Because the person whose right is being contested was, previous to the election, convicted of a felony by a court of competent jurisdiction, the conviction not having been reversed nor the person’s civil rights restored after the conviction.”
Felons can be blocked from the ballot if civil rights have not been restored.
Whether this could apply to a presidential candidate is not clear. Recall that voters are technically voting for electors who will cast ballots via the Electoral College.
Danny Westneat, a Seattle Times columnist, revealed the twist Saturday morning.
Featured image: King County Elections
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