HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 124

BYHouse Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics (originally sponsored by Representatives Cole, Armstrong, Fisher, Crane, Leonard, Betrozoff, Pruitt, Fisch, Rust, Miller and P. King) 

Standardizing ballot order rotation of all candidates.

House Committe on Constitution, Elections & Ethics

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (5)

     Signed by Representatives Fisher, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; Amondson, Fisch and Leonard.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 6, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1986, legislation was enacted which established a procedure for determining by lot the order in which the names of candidates for partisan office, for the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and for most judicial offices would appear on sample and absentee ballots in primaries.  The names of candidates for the office of district court judge were expressly excluded from the procedure.  The legislation also referred to provisions of state law requiring the rotation of the order of the names of candidates for judicial offices on the ballots appearing at polling places in primaries.  The names of candidates for the office of district court judge were also excluded from those references.

In a 1978 opinion, the state's Attorney General indicated that many of the laws specifying the placement of names of candidates for judicial and other nonpartisan offices on ballots do not apply to the office of district court judge.

SUMMARY:

The names of candidates for district court judge shall be rotated in each precinct in primaries in the manner specified by law for other judicial offices.  The order of those names on sample ballots and on absentee ballots in primaries shall be determined by lot.  On the general election ballot and on absentee and sample ballots for the general election, the name of the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for the position at the primary shall be listed first followed by the name of the candidate who receives the next greatest number of votes.

Fiscal Note:    Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Representative Cole.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     Candidates for office believe that the order in which their names appear on ballots is important.  The bill treats candidates for district court judges in the same manner established for others last year.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.