S-2952

AN ACT Relating to the presidential preference primary; and amending RCW 29.19.030, 29.19.040, and 29.19.050.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 29.19.030 and 1989 c 4 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

The name of any candidate for a major political party nomination for president of the United States shall be printed on the presidential preference primary ballot ((~~of a major political party~~)) only:

(1) By direction of the secretary of state, who in the secretary's sole discretion has determined that the candidate's candidacy is generally advocated or is recognized in national news media; or

(2) If members of the political party of the candidate have presented a petition for nomination of the candidate that has attached to the petition a sheet or sheets containing the signatures of at least one thousand registered voters who declare themselves in the petition as being affiliated with the same political party as the presidential candidate. The petition shall be filed with the secretary of state not later than the thirty-ninth day before the presidential preference primary. The signature sheets shall also contain the residence address and name or number of the precinct of each registered voter whose signature appears thereon and shall be certified in the manner prescribed in RCW 29.79.200 and 29.79.210.

The secretary of state shall place the name of the candidate on the ballot unless the candidate, at least thirty-five days before the presidential preference primary, executes and files with the secretary of state an affidavit stating without qualification that he or she is not now and will not become a candidate for the office of president of the United States at the forthcoming presidential election. The secretary of state shall certify the names of all candidates who will appear on the presidential preference primary ballot to the respective county auditors on or before the fourth Tuesday in April of each presidential election year.

Sec. 2. RCW 29.19.040 and 1989 c 4 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

The arrangement and form of the presidential primary ballot((s)) shall be substantially as provided for any primary election within the state except as may be modified by this chapter or by rule of the secretary of state as provided for in RCW 29.19.070 to adequately reflect the intent of this chapter.

A ((~~separate~~)) single ballot shall be prepared for ((~~each major~~)) all political ((~~party~~)) parties that ((~~has~~)) have candidates whose names have been authorized for placement on the presidential preference primary ballot((s)) under RCW 29.19.030. The names of all candidates for a party's nomination for the office of president shall be listed alphabetically in a column on ((~~that party's~~)) the ballot. There shall be a printed box adjacent to the name of each candidate. A blank space to allow the voter to write in the name of another candidate shall also be included on ((~~each~~)) the ballot.

The ballot, in providing for a choice of candidates for the office of president, shall set forth only those candidates, with their political party affiliation, who have qualified for a place on the ballot under RCW 29.19.030.

Sec. 3. RCW 29.19.050 and 1989 c 4 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

Insofar as is practicable, and where the provisions of this chapter do not specifically indicate otherwise, the presidential preference primary shall be conducted in the same manner as a state partisan primary, including the certification of the election returns by the secretary of state. The requirement of rotation of names on the ballot does not apply to the candidates listed on the presidential preference primary ballot. County auditors may combine and consolidate two or more precincts for the purpose of conducting the presidential preference primary only if precinct vote totals for the primary can still be made available and the consolidation does not require a voter to go to a location different from that of the last regular election.

((Each person desiring to vote in the presidential preference primary shall receive a ballot request form on which the voter shall sign his or her name and address and declare the party primary in which he or she wishes to participate.

~~The secretary shall prescribe rules for providing each party central committee a list of the voters who participated in the presidential primary of that party.~~

The signed ballot request forms shall be maintained in the centralized containers by the county auditor for a period of time as specified by rule of the secretary of state, after which time they shall be destroyed, unless otherwise directed by federal law.))

At a presidential preference primary, a voter may cast no more than one vote on ((a)) the ballot. Any presidential preference primary ballot with more than one vote is void, and notice to this effect, couched in clear, simple language, and printed in large type, shall appear on the face of ((~~each~~)) the presidential preference primary ballot. Where voting machines or electronic voting devices are in use, the notice shall be displayed on or about each machine or device.