SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SSB 5481

                AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 8, 1993

Brief Description:  Cancelling voter registration of felons.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Roach, Quigley, Hargrove, Amondson, L. Smith, McCaslin and Oke)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5481 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Haugen, Chairman; Drew, Vice Chairman; Loveland, Oke, von Reichbauer, and Winsley.

Staff:  Rod McAulay (786‑7754)

Hearing Dates: February 17, 1993; February 18, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Article 6, Section 3 of the State Constitution provides that: "All persons convicted of infamous crime unless restored to their civil rights . . . are excluded from the elective franchise."  The election code defines "infamous crime" as a crime punishable by death in the state penitentiary or imprisonment in a state correctional facility.  An applicant to register to vote must make a sworn statement that he or she is not presently denied his or her civil rights as a result of being convicted of an infamous crime.

There is no established mechanism to notify county auditors when a registered voter is convicted of an infamous crime so that they might strike them from the rolls.

SUMMARY:

Within 14 days of the entry of a judgment of conviction of an individual for an infamous crime, the clerk of the court shall send a notice of the conviction to the county auditor in the county of the convict's residence.  The auditor shall strike the name of the convict from the voter registration roll.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

This bill assures compliance with the Constitution.  There is no mechanism in place to notify auditors when a person is convicted of a disqualifying crime.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Senator Roach, prime sponsor; Jeff Helston, Pierce County attorney