Subject of Possible Rule Making: Establish procedures for the local government grant program to distribute federally authorized funds made available following the passage of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 29A.04.450.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The federal government passed HAVA and made the funding available to replace punch card voting and improve the administration of elections. No mechanism was outlined by the federal government as to how to distribute the funds other than a grant method may be used. RCW 29A.04.450 was passed giving the Secretary of State authority to create a grant program.

     The rules will accomplish the creation of a local government grant program and the distribution of funds to pay for the replacement of punch card voting and the improvement of election administration.

     Process for Developing New Rule:       Negotiated rule making.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Shawn Merchant or Lori Guerrero, P.O. Box 40229, Olympia, WA 98504, phone (360) 902-4180, fax (360) 664-4619, e-mail shmerchant@secstate.wa.gov or lguerrero@secstate.wa.gov.

October 26, 2004

Steve Excell

Assistant Secretary of State

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