Guide to the Archives of the City of Seattle

Record Group 2200
Ethics and Elections Commission

The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission was established in 1992 through the consolidation of the Board of Ethics and the Fair Campaign Practices Commission. The latter two bodies were created following adoption of the ethics and elections codes in 1971. The same individuals comprised the membership of the two entities, but the functions were separate and they were staffed independently. The Ethics and Elections Commission enforces campaign practices legislation, including financial disclosure requirements, and develops and enforces ethical standards for city officials and employees.

2200-01
Minutes of the Fair Campaign Practices Commission and the Board of Ethics
1981-1990
1.8 cubic feet

Minutes and agendas of the Fair Campaign Practices Commission and the Board of Ethics. The Commission and the Board were comprised of the same members but staffed by representatives of two different City offices. The Ethics and Elections Commission replaced the two entities in 1991.

SMA

2201-01
Fair Campaign Practices Ordinance Development Records
1978
0.4 cubic foot

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and reference material relating to campaign financing reform and development of the Fair Campaign Practices ordinance. Includes sample laws from other jurisdictions, comparison of proposed rules to state law, and analysis of the effect proposed law would have had on recent elections.

SMA
Folder List

2201-02
Policy and Administration Records
1971-1997
3.6 cubic feet

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, draft legislation, opinions, complaints, and rules related to the development and administration of the Ethics and Elections Commission and its predecessors. Records reflect the histories and activities of the Board of Ethics and the Office of Elections Administration and their subsequent merger into the current office. Extensive files chart the development and changes to the enabling ordinances for the regulatory functions related to the Code of Ethics and campaign financing.

SMA

2202-01
Voters' Pamphlets
1983-2006
1.0 cubic foot

Official voters' pamphlets for primary, general, and special elections that include contests in which Seattle residents cast votes. Includes statements by candidates, text of measures, and statements of support and opposition. For some years, there are pamphlets in Spanish and Chinese.

SMA