By Richard Winger Washington state election law provides for a petition in lieu of filing fee, but it can only be used by candidates who allege they cannot afford the filing fee. The House State Government Committee is sponsoring HB 2477. It says that any candidate may choose to submit a petition instead of paying the filing fee. Also, it says if the number of valid signatures turns out to be not enough, but is at least 95% of the requirement, then the petition can still be used to pay the bulk of the filing fee, with a proportional small …read more