1972 Washington Initiative 276

Initiative 276

Campaign Finance
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 959,143 72.02% No 372,693 27.98% Total votes 1,331,836 100.00%
Results by county: Yes:   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%
Source: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections

Initiative to the People 276 (or the Public Disclosure Act) was a law approved by the people of Washington in a vote (plebiscite) held in 1972. The law required the state government to establish the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission in order to provide information to the public about campaign fundraising and expenditures The initiative was passed by the people at the same time as the November 1972 general election, by a margin of 72.02% to 27.98%.

The law has since been superseded by the Washington Public Records Act. The current law on the subject is codified in the Revised Code (RCW), Title 42, Chapter 56.

Full title

The official long title of the Public Disclosure Act was

An ACT relating to campaign financing, activities of lobbyists, access to public records, and financial affairs of elective officers and candidates; requiring disclosure of sources of campaign contributions, objects of campaign expenditures, and amounts thereof; limiting campaign expenditures; regulating the activities of lobbyists and requiring reports of their expenditures; restricting use of public funds to influence legislative decisions; governing access to public records; specifying the manner in which public agencies will maintain such records; requiring disclosure of elective officials' and candidates' financial interests and activities; establishing a public disclosure commission to administer the act; and providing civil penalties.