FINAL BILL REPORT

                           SSB 5819

                          C 269 L 94

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Authorizing voting by mail for any primary or election for a two‑year period.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen, Vognild and Quigley)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

BACKGROUND:

County auditors may conduct primaries or elections by mail in precincts with fewer than 200 registered voters.  Any county, city, town or district requesting a nonpartisan special election not being held in conjunction with a state primary may request that the election be conducted by mail.  The county auditor may honor or deny such a request.

When conducting a primary or election by mail in a precinct with fewer than 200 voters, ballot request forms are mailed to all voters in the precinct no later than 15 days prior to the primary or election.  A mail ballot shall be issued to each voter who returns an application no later than the day of the primary or election.

When conducting a nonpartisan special election by mail, the ballots shall be mailed to the voters no later than 15 days prior to the election.

All mailings will include a preaddressed return envelope.

SUMMARY:

The county auditor may conduct elections by mail in any precinct, in any primary, special or general election during the two-year period commencing with the effective date of this act.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    34   13

House     93   0

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1994