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                       ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1571

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Jones, McLean, Anderson, Hargrove, Ferguson, Phillips and Jacobsen).

Read first time February 22, 1991.  Requiring a recount by hand of election returns that have a difference of less than one-fourth of one percent.

     AN ACT Relating to recounting votes; amending RCW 29.64.015; adding a new section to chapter 29.64 RCW; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 29.64.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that it is in the public interest to determine the winner of close contests for elective offices as expeditiously and as accurately as possible.  It is the purpose of this act to provide procedures which promote the prompt and accurate recounting of votes for elective offices and which provide closure to the recount process.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 29.64.015 and 1987 c 54 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) If the official canvass of all of the returns for any office at any primary or election reveals that the difference in the number of votes cast for a candidate apparently nominated or elected to any office and the number of votes cast for the closest apparently defeated opponent is not more than one-half of one percent of the total number of votes cast for both candidates, the county canvassing board shall conduct((, or the secretary of state shall direct the appropriate county canvassing boards to conduct,))  a recount of all votes cast on that position.

(a) Whenever such a difference occurs in the number of votes cast for candidates for a position which appears on the ballot in more than one county, the secretary of state shall, within three business days of the day that the returns of the primary or election are first certified by the canvassing boards of those counties, direct those boards to recount all votes cast on the position.

(b) Whenever the difference in the number of votes cast for such candidates is less than one-fourth of one percent of the total number of votes cast for both candidates, the votes shall be recounted manually.

(2) A mandatory recount shall be conducted in the manner provided by RCW 29.64.020, 29.64.030, and 29.64.040.  No cost of a mandatory recount may be charged to any candidate.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 29.64 RCW to read as follows:

     After being counted, the votes cast in any single precinct may not be recounted more than twice.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.      RCW 29.64.050 and 1990 c 59 s 67 & 1965 c 9 s 29.64.050 are each repealed.