AN ACT Relating to precinct election officers; amending RCW 29.45.010, 29.45.020, and 29.45.040; adding a new section to chapter 29.01 RCW; repealing RCW 29.04.055; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29.01 RCW to read as follows:

"Election board" means a group of election officers serving one precinct or groups of precincts in a polling place.

Sec. 2. Section 29.45.010, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 7, chapter 71, Laws of 1983 1st ex. sess. and RCW 29.45.010 are each amended to read as follows:

At least ten days prior to any primary, special election, or general election, ((~~general or special,~~)) the county auditor ((~~shall~~)) may appoint at least one inspector who shall act as election board supervisor and two judges of election for each ((precinct (or each combination of precincts temporarily consolidated as a single precinct for that primary or election), other than those precincts designated as vote-by-mail precincts pursuant to RCW 29.36.120, from among the names contained)) election board. As far as practical, judges shall be selected from among the persons named on the lists furnished ((~~by the chairman of the county central committee of the political parties entitled to representation thereon~~)) under RCW 29.45.030. The county auditor shall have the sole responsibility for appointing inspectors.

((~~Such precinct election officers, whenever possible, should be residents of the precinct in which they serve.~~

The county auditor shall designate the inspector and one judge in each precinct from that political party which polled the highest number of votes in the county for its candidate for president at the last preceding presidential election and one judge from that political party polling the next highest number of votes in the county for its candidate for president at the same election.))

Except for RCW 29.45.040, this shall be the exclusive method for the appointment of ((~~inspectors and judges to serve as precinct~~)) polling place election officers at any primary, special election, or general election((~~, general or special, and shall supersede the provisions of any and all other statutes, whether general or special in nature, having different requirements~~)).

Sec. 3. Section 29.45.020, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as amended by section 2, chapter 101, Laws of 1965 ex. sess. and RCW 29.45.020 are each amended to read as follows:

At the ((~~same~~)) time the ((~~officer having jurisdiction of the election~~)) county auditor appoints the inspector and two judges ((~~as provided in~~)) for each polling place under RCW 29.45.010, he or she may appoint one or more persons to act as clerks ((~~if in his judgment such additional persons are necessary, except that in precincts in which voting machines are used, the judges of election shall perform the duties required to be performed by clerks~~)).

((~~Each clerk appointed shall represent a major political party: PROVIDED, That~~)) The political party representation of a single set of ((~~precinct election~~)) polling place officers shall, whenever possible, be equal ((~~but, in any event,~~)). No single political party shall be represented by more than a majority of one polling place official at each polling place.

((The election officer having jurisdiction of the election may designate at what hour the clerks shall report for duty. The hour may vary among the precincts according to the judgment of the appointing officer.))

Sec. 4. Section 29.45.040, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 and RCW 29.45.040 are each amended to read as follows:

If no election officers have been appointed for ((~~a precinct,~~)) an election board or, if at the hour for opening the polls, none of those appointed is present at the polling place ((~~therein~~)), the voters present may appoint the election ((~~board~~)) officers for that ((~~precinct. One of the judges may perform the duties of clerk of~~)) election board. The inspector ((~~shall have the power to~~)) of the election board may fill any vacancy that ((~~may occur in the board of judges, or by absence or refusal to serve of either of the clerks~~)) occurs after the polls ((~~shall~~)) have been opened.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Section 29.04.055, chapter 9, Laws of 1965, section 1, chapter 127, Laws of 1974 ex. sess., section 5, chapter 361, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 29.04.055 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act shall take effect on January 1, 1987.