SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5819

      AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS,

                       JANUARY 18, 1994

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

SPONSORS: Senators Haugen, Vognild and Quigley

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5819 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Haugen, Chairman; Drew, Vice Chairman; Loveland, McCaslin, Owen and Winsley.

Staff:  Rod McAulay (786‑7754)

Hearing Dates: February 25, 1993; March 3, 1993; January 18, 1994

BACKGROUND:

County auditors may conduct primaries or elections by mail in precincts with fewer than 100 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 100 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 voting 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.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

A change made in the same section of law by other legislation last session is incorporated.  This change raised the limit for the size of precincts in which elections may be conducted by mail from 100 to 200 and is of no consequence for the next two years if this bill is enacted.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:  None

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  No one