HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1226

BYRepresentatives R. Fisher, McLean, Anderson and Miller; by request of Secretary of State

Requiring lists of electors and presidential candidates.

House Committe on State Government

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (8)

      Signed by Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Anderson, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Republican Member; Hankins, Morris, Rector, Sayan and Silver.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 15, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Article II, Section 1 and Amendments XII and XXIII of the Constitution of the United States prescribe a system under which the President and Vice President of the United States are elected indirectly by the people and directly by "electors" appointed by the various states.  Within certain limits established by those provisions and consistent with acts of Congress authorized by them, the electors are to be appointed as provided by state law.

State law requires each of the political parties nominating candidates for President and Vice President to nominate their Presidential electors for this state and to file certificates of nomination with the Secretary of State.

SUMMARY:

The list of Presidential electors which each political party nominating candidates for President and Vice President of the United States must, under current law, file with the Secretary of State must now be filed not later than 10 days after the adjournment of the convention at which the candidates were nominated.  The list must include the name and mailing address of each elector and must be certified by the chair of the state committee of the major political party or the presiding officer of the minor party or independent candidate nominating convention.

The presiding officer of a nominating convention of a major political party must certify to the Secretary the names of the candidates nominated for President and Vice President as they are to appear on the ballot and the addresses of the candidates. The secretary of the convention must attest to the certification.  The certification must be filed not later than 10 days after the adjournment of the nominating convention.

Minor political parties and independent candidate nominating conventions must select their presidential electors in accordance with party or convention rules.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 24, 1989.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    John Pearson, Office of the Secretary of State.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Both national conventions of the major political parties routinely ask for copies of this state's laws establishing deadlines and criteria for filing lists of nominees with our Secretary of State; our state has no such law.  The deadline established by the bill is consistent with the practices of the national conventions.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 92; Absent 3; Excused 3.

Absent:     Representatives Basich, Baugher and Brekke

Excused:    Representatives Bristow, Schoon and Todd