SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   EHB 1554

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS,

                                MARCH 28, 1991

Brief Description:  Facilitating voter registration address verification.

SPONSORS:Representatives Anderson, McLean, Miller, Tate, R. Fisher, Paris and Jacobsen.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Roach, Vice Chairman; Madsen, Matson, and Sutherland. 

Staff:  Rod McAulay (786‑7754)

Hearing Dates:March 28, 1991

BACKGROUND:

County auditors are required to monitor the validity of the voter rolls.  When a vote-by-mail ballot, reprecincting notice, jury selection notice or initial voter identification card is returned by the postal service as undeliverable, the auditor must institute a validation procedure to determine if the voter is at the same address, if the address should be changed, or if the registration should be canceled.

SUMMARY:

The county auditor may contract with the U.S. Postal Service for use of change-of-address information.  A change of address notice is a basis for instituting the voter registration validation procedure.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

Permits auditors to take advantage of postal service technology in the process of maintaining accurate voter roles.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Sam Reed, Thurston County Auditor (pro)