S-1323.2          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5893

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators Johnson, Bailey, Amondson and von Reichbauer.

Read first time March 1, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Allowing mail ballots for school district excess levy and bond elections.

     AN ACT Relating to elections by mail for school district bonds and levies; and amending RCW 29.36.120.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 29.36.120 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 71 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     At any primary or election, general or special, the county auditor may, in any precinct having fewer than one hundred registered voters at the time of closing of voter registration as provided in RCW 29.07.160, conduct the voting in that precinct by mail ballot.  For any precinct having fewer than one hundred registered voters where voting at a primary or a general election is conducted by mail ballot, the county auditor shall, not less than fifteen days prior to the date of that primary or general election, mail or deliver to each registered voter within that precinct a notice that the voting in that precinct will be by mail ballot, an application form for a mail ballot, and a postage prepaid envelope, preaddressed to the issuing officer.  A mail ballot shall be issued to each voter who returns a properly executed application to the county auditor no later than the day of that primary or general election.  Such application is valid for all subsequent mail ballot elections in that precinct so long as the voter remains qualified to vote.  However, the county auditor shall not deny the request of a school district that an election to validate an excess levy under RCW 84.52.053 or bond issue under RCW 28A.530.020 be conducted by mail ballot.

     At any nonpartisan special election not being held in conjunction with a state primary or general election, the county, city, town, or district requesting the election pursuant to RCW 29.13.010 or 29.13.020 may also request that the election be conducted by mail ballot.  The county auditor may honor the request or may determine that the election is not to be conducted by mail ballot.  The decision of the county auditor in this regard is final.

     In no instance shall any special election be conducted by mail ballot in any precinct with more than one hundred registered voters if candidates for partisan office are to be voted upon.

     For all special elections not being held in conjunction with a state primary or state general election where voting is conducted by mail ballot, the county auditor shall, not less than fifteen days prior to the date of such election, mail or deliver to each registered voter a mail ballot and an envelope, preaddressed to the issuing officer.