Z-1486.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 6187

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1994 Regular Session

By Senators Drew, Winsley, Spanel and Haugen; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 01/17/94.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Permitting relief for election officers.

          AN ACT Relating to relief for election officers; and amending RCW 29.45.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  RCW 29.45.050 and 1973 c 102 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

          There shall be but one set of election officers at any one time in each precinct except as provided in this section.

          In every precinct using paper ballots having two hundred or more registered voters there shall be appointed, and in every precinct having less than two hundred registered voters there may be appointed, at a state primary or state general election, two or more sets of precinct election officers as provided in RCW 29.04.020 and 29.45.010.  The officer in charge of the election may appoint one or more counting boards at his discretion, when he decides that because of a long or complicated ballot or because of the number of expected voters, there is need of additional counting board or boards to improve the speed and accuracy of the count.

          In making such appointments, one or more sets of precinct election officers shall be designated as the counting board or boards, the first of which shall consist of an inspector, two judges, and a clerk and the second set, if activated, shall consist of two judges and two clerks.  The duties of the counting board or boards shall be the count of ballots cast and the return of the election records and supplies to the officer having jurisdiction of the election.

          One set of precinct election officers shall be designated as the receiving board which shall have all other powers and duties imposed by law for such elections.  Nothing in this section prevents the county auditor from appointing relief or replacement precinct election officers at any time during election day.  Relief or replacement precinct election officers must be of the same political party as the officer they are relieving or replacing.

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