When was the last time you saw a political candidate stand up in front of the public and say something of substance that you felt you could actually trust? Or heard a campaign promise you could believe? To address the public's need for clear information from candidates, Project Vote Smart has since 1992 been administering the National Political Awareness Test (NPAT). It's a survey that asks candidates for their positions on the issues they will most likely face. It is conducted nationally over the last 12 months of each election season.

The NPAT is nonpartisan, and the current board of Project Vote Smart includes such ideological opposites as John McCain and Geraldine Ferraro, Newt Gingrich and Michael Dukakis. The NPAT test also includes input from third political parties.

Washington congressional and state legislative candidates were contacted repeatedly and asked by prominent national leaders of both major parties, by Washington news organizations, and by Project Vote Smart staff, if they were willing to provide their issue inclinations in the public interest.

However, 2006 results show that 73 percent of candidates in Washington state refused to answer questions on the issues that are of top concern to Washington voters, such as health policy, immigration, education, crime, and budget and taxes. Washington's results show that only 50 percent of congressional candidates and 25 percent of state legislative candidates were willing to inform voters through the NPAT. In 1996, the response from congressional candidates in Washington was 82 percent.

These results show that Washington candidates are following the same trend as most other states across the country. The 2006 national averages are at an all time low of 48 percent and 26 percent for federal and state legislative candidates respectively.

Since 2000, Project Vote Smart has found that party leaders and consultants are advising candidates not to respond to the NPAT for two primary reasons: it will limit the candidates' ability to control their campaign messages, and it will expose them to opposition research.

One campaign consultant told us, "It's not our job to educate--it's our job to win."

The results of each candidate's NPAT may be obtained from the Vote Smart Web site (www.vote-smart.org) Other information includes campaign finance data, biographical information, voting records, issue positions, special interest groups' ratings, candidate speeches and public statements, and contact information on close to 40,000 candidates and elected officials at the presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, state and local levels.

Following are the results of the 2006 Washington National Political Awareness Test from October 21, 2006.

WASHINGTON RESPONSES TO THE 2006 NATIONAL POLITICAL AWARENESS TEST

WA STATE SENATE & STATE HOUSE

Of 98 Republican candidates, 25 returned the survey.

Of 107 Democrat candidates, 25 returned the survey.

Of 1 independent/3rd party candidate, 1 returned the survey.

Of 114 incumbents of all parties, 22 returned the survey.

Of 92 challengers of all parties, 29 returned the survey.

FINAL NPAT RETURN RATE: 25%

WA FEDERAL RACES (US SENATE & US HOUSE)

Of 10 Republican candidates, 8 returned the survey.

Of 10 Democrat candidates, 1 returned the survey.*

Of 4 independent/3rd party candidates, 3 returned the survey.

Of 10 incumbents of all parties, 2 returned the survey.

Of 14 challengers of all parties, 10 returned the survey.

FINAL NPAT RETURN RATE: 50%