S-4371               _______________________________________________

                                 SUBSTITUTE SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 131

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senators McDermott, Goltz, Peterson, Fleming, Wojahn, Granlund, Talmadge, McManus, Gaspard, Halsan, Williams and Moore)

Read first time 2/5/86.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The national news media frequently predict the outcome of national elections while the polls are still open in Washington and other western states; and

          WHEREAS, These predictions appear to discourage voters from going to the polls, which has an adverse impact on both national and local election races; and

          WHEREAS, A uniform poll closing time could eliminate this impact; and

          WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives recently passed proposed legislation to adopt a uniform poll closing time for Presidential general elections (H.R. 3525);

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully commend the United States House of Representatives for its approval of H.R. 3525 and urge the United States Senate to enact similar legislation to establish a uniform poll closing time in Presidential general elections.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.