Right now no one has officially challenged the eligibility of Gary Watts to run for Everett Mayor as a write-in candidate on the November 7th ballot.
Nonetheless today Watts issued the following press release to answer questions he says have been brought up in local media about his eligibility to serve should he win the election. Click to read the release…
Watts registration explanation
Watts tells MyEverettNews.com years ago he moved out of a house outside of the city limits after a divorce and into an apartment above his shop, Z-Sport at 3532 Smith Avenue. He says when he went to change his address to get his ballot at the Smith Avenue address he believed he changed his voter registration as well. That was not the case as only his mailing address was changed and he continued to receive ballots with offices outside the City of Everett.
On September 6, 2017, the day Watts filed to run as a write-in candidate for Everett Mayor his voting registration was changed to reflect his new precinct within the Everett city limits. In his press release Watts says he has voted in every primary and general election since 2009.
That would include the August primary where Watts would not have had the offices for Everett Mayor or Everett City Council on his ballot. MyEverettNews.com asked Watts about that.
“I just wasn’t interested in city government, I only cared about the State and Federal races,” Watts said. “I only became interested in Everett when I saw the candidates in the general election had hollow words and the same plan we currently have.”
City of Everett Director of Public Information Meghan Pembroke told MyEverettNews.com via email the following…
The County has confirmed that Mr. Watts provided the necessary paperwork and filing fee in order to register as a write-in candidate for mayor. The City is not planning any action. Any challenges to a candidate’s qualifications may be brought under RCW 29A.68.013 no later than 10 days after the election.
October 3, 2017
Everett Government