Z-840                 _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 947

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representative Barnes; by Secretary of State request

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics.

AN ACT Relating to lapsing of special and general elections for certain offices; adding a new section to chapter 29.04 RCW; 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 29.04 RCW to read as follows:

          Notwithstanding any contrary provision of state law, if any candidate for federal or state office receives more than sixty percent of the valid votes cast for that office in the primary, the subsequent general or special election for that office shall be lapsed, the office shall not appear on the general or special election ballot, and the candidate shall be deemed to have been elected for the term that was to be filled at that general or special election.  The operation of this section shall not affect the commencement of the term nor the length of the term of an office for which the general or special election is lapsed.  With respect to any office for which the general or special election is lapsed, the operation of this section constitutes an exercise of the provisions of Article II, section 5, of the state Constitution and those sections that refer to or rely upon that provision.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     This act shall take effect on January 1, 1986.