Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
State Government

HB 1414

Brief Description:  Establishing a data base for voter registration purposes.

Sponsors:  Representatives Schindler, McMorris and Lambert.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Requires the Secretary of State to establish a database containing information concerning voter registration.

$Requires the Secretary of State to use the database to assist the county auditors in updating and maintaining their voter lists.

Hearing Date:  2/9/01

Staff:  Jim Morishima (786‑7191).

Background: 

To register to vote in this state, a person must be a United States citizen, a legal resident of Washington, and at least 18 years of age.  A person may register to vote in a variety of locations including with the county auditor and when renewing his or her driver=s license.

The county auditors update and maintain lists of registered voters in each county in a variety of ways on a case-by-case basis.  Names, addresses, and voting status (active or inactive) are updated continually.  In addition, registrations are cancelled for voters who have moved out of the county, died, or been convicted of a felony. 

In addition to case-by-case maintenance, the auditors are required to establish a general program of voter list maintenance.  Also, the Secretary of State assists the county auditors in conducting an annual maintenance program designed to detect voters registered in more than one county.

Summary of Bill: 

The Secretary of State must establish a database containing the following information:

$The names, residential addresses, and voting status of all registered voters in the state;

$The names of persons convicted of felonies;

$The names and residential addresses of persons declared incompetent to vote;

$The names and former names of persons who have legally changed their names;

$Address change information; and

$Voter cancellation information.

The Secretary of State must, at a minimum, update the database on a monthly basis.  The Secretary of State must use the database to assist county auditors in their list maintenance programs.  The courts and the county auditors must submit information to help the Secretary of State establish and maintain the database.  

The Secretary of State must study methods to improve the database including:

$Requiring state agencies to submit information to the database;

$Requiring businesses to submit information to the database; and

$Contracting with the federal government or other states to obtain lists of convicted felons.

The Secretary of State must consider the privacy interests of persons in the database and must report the results of the study to the Legislature.

Rulemaking Authority:  No express authority.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 30, 2001.