Friday briefing: impressive youth vote, gay marriage pertinent dates, Hillary 2016, women of the Senate

Good Morning. Happy Friday.

So much hand wringing about the youth vote: To all those who grumbled — guilty as charged — that younger voters were not as fired up this election season as they might have been in 2008, pshaw to all of that. Younger voters, those roughly 18-29, turned out in the same numbers as they did four years ago and a pinch more. Read it and smile.

Opponents of gay marriage conceded the point Thursday. You maybe knew that. So when can gay couples marry in Washington? Here are some dates and answers, in an email from King County, in case you know some people making plans.

“The King County Recorder’s Office is making plans for the first day of marriage equality in Washington State. If Referendum 74 is certified as passed by the voters, the first day that marriage licenses can be issued to same-sex couples will be Thursday, Dec. 6. The first day that licenses could be used is three days later, Sunday, Dec. 9.

The Recorder’s Office will open for extended hours on Thursday, Dec. 6, as well as Friday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 8. We are still firming up details of the plan for those first three days, including hours of operation. We will NOT be open on Sunday, Dec. 9, and we will NOT be able to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples until Dec. 6.”

Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Source: Associated Press

Election 2012 is barely in the rear view mirror and here it comes. Politico reports the first poll is in for the presidential race in 2016 — who can take it? — and Hillary Rodham Clinton is ahead in Iowa.

Join us today at noon for a live chat to talk about what happens next now that Initiative 502 has been approved by the voters. Send questions about the state’s new marijuana rules in advance for Alison Holcomb, campaign guru of I-502, to jmartin@seattletimes.com or jbalter@seattletimes.com

Women of the U.S. Senate: The recent election was very good for women becoming U.S. senators. The old number of women in that clubby club was 17. The 2012 election boosts it to 20.

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About this blog

Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.

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