SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 2089

                             AS OF MARCH 22, 1991

Brief Description:  Fixing the date of the presidential primary.

SPONSORS:House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Anderson, Bowman, Pruitt, Grant, R. Fisher, Ferguson, R. Johnson and Franklin).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Staff:  Rod McAulay (786‑7754)

Hearing Dates:

BACKGROUND:

With the adoption in 1989 of Initiative to the Legislature No. 99, the Legislature established a presidential preference primary in this state.  Unless the date is changed by the Secretary of State, the presidential primary is to be held on the fourth Tuesday in May of each presidential election year.  The secretary is authorized to select another date for this primary to advance the concept of a regional primary.

Two of the dates specified by law on which local special elections may be conducted are the fourth Tuesday in May and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April.

SUMMARY:

The date of the state's presidential primary is changed to the fourth Tuesday in March.  The authority of the Secretary of State to change the date on which this primary may be conducted to advance the concept of a regional primary is repealed.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in April may continue to be used for local special elections except in a presidential election year.  In such a year, this special election date is moved to the fourth Tuesday in March, the date of the presidential primary.

The date on which special elections may be conducted for local governments during the month of May is changed to the third Tuesday from the current presidential primary date, the fourth Tuesday in May.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested