CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SENATE BILL 5565

Chapter 245, Laws of 2005

59th Legislature
2005 Regular Session



ELECTIONS--OUT-OF-STATE VOTERS--ENVELOPE INSTRUCTIONS



EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/24/05

Passed by the Senate April 16, 2005
  YEAS 39   NAYS 0

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 13, 2005
  YEAS 96   NAYS 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5565 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

THOMAS HOEMANN
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved May 3, 2005.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
May 3, 2005 - 3:48 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

SENATE BILL 5565
_____________________________________________

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

Passed Legislature - 2005 Regular Session
State of Washington59th Legislature2005 Regular Session

By Senators Schmidt, Kastama, Weinstein, Roach, Keiser, Sheldon, Shin, Rockefeller, Oke and Kohl-Welles

Read first time 01/28/2005.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.



     AN ACT Relating to information for out-of-state, overseas, and service voters; and amending RCW 29A.40.150.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 29A.40.150 and 2003 c 111 s 1015 are each amended to read as follows:
     The secretary of state shall produce and furnish envelopes and instructions for out-of-state voters, overseas voters, and service voters to the county auditors. The information on the envelopes or instructions must explain that:
     (1) Return postage is free if the ballot is mailed through the United States postal service, United States armed forces postal service, or the postal service of a United States foreign embassy;
     (2) The date of the signature is considered the date of mailing;
     (3) The envelope must be signed by election day;
     (4) The signed declaration on the envelope is the equivalent of voter registration;
     (5) A voter may fax a voted ballot and the accompanying envelope if the voter agrees to waive secrecy. The ballot will be counted if the original documents are received before certification of the election; and
     (6) A voter may obtain a ballot via electronic mail, which the voter may print out, vote, and return by mail. In order to facilitate the electronic acquisition of ballots by out-of-state, overseas, and service voters, the ballot instructions shall include the web site of the office of the secretary of state.


         Passed by the Senate April 16, 2005.
         Passed by the House April 13, 2005.
         Approved by the Governor May 3, 2005.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 3, 2005.