Washingtonians Say No to Race Based University Quotas At The Polls

Washington State voters rejected an affirmative action initiative on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

This initiative, I-1000,  would have restored affirmative action in public college admissions.

According to Inside Higher Ed, “The latest vote totals are 48.23 percent in favor of restoring affirmative action, and 51.77 opposed.”

Back in 1998, voter-approved I-200 banned the consideration of racial and ethnic preferences in 1998, however the Washington State Legislature voted earlier this year to lift the ban. This subsequently led to a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot.

Based on state election results, the measure passed in only three of the state’s counties and lost by wide margins in the more rural counties.

Groups like Washington Asians for Equality played a big role in gathering enough signatures  to challenge I-1000 via popular referenda.

This result marked a big win for those who believe in meritocracy and are not fixated in politically correct sub-divisions of racial groups.

Affirmative action is a policy that greatly expands the administrative state and sows racial tension even more by using public administration to benefit certain groups at the expense of others.