H-1280.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1927

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Costa, Radcliff, Jacobsen, Scott, Blanton, Cole, Dickerson and Cairnes

Read first time 02/15/95.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Affecting the election of precinct committee officers.

    AN ACT Relating to electing precinct committee officers; and amending RCW 29.42.050 and 29.36.030.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.42.050 and 1991 c 363 s 34 are each amended to read as follows:

    The statutory requirements for filing as a candidate at the primaries shall apply to candidates for precinct committee officer except that the filing period for this office alone shall be extended to and include the Friday immediately following the last day for political parties to fill vacancies in the ticket as provided by RCW 29.18.150, and the office shall not be voted upon at the primaries, but the names of all candidates must appear under the proper party and office designations on the ballot for the general November election for each even-numbered year and the one receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected((:  PROVIDED, That to be declared elected, a candidate must receive at least ten percent of the number of votes cast for the candidate of the candidate's party receiving the greatest number of votes in the precinct)).  Any person elected to the office of precinct committee officer who has not filed a declaration of candidacy shall pay the fee of one dollar to the county auditor for a certificate of election.  The term of office of precinct committee officer shall be for two years, commencing upon completion of the official canvass of votes by the county canvassing board of election returns.  Should any vacancy occur in this office by reason of death, resignation, or disqualification of the incumbent, or because of failure to elect, the respective county chair of the county central committee shall be empowered to fill such vacancy by appointment:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That in legislative districts having a majority of its precincts in a county with a population of one million or more, such appointment shall be made only upon the recommendation of the legislative district chair:  PROVIDED, That the person so appointed shall have the same qualifications as candidates when filing for election to such office for such precinct:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That when a vacancy in the office of precinct committee officer exists because of failure to elect at a state general election, such vacancy shall not be filled until after the organization meeting of the county central committee and the new county chair selected as provided by RCW 29.42.030.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 29.36.030 and 1991 c 81 s 31 are each amended to read as follows:

    If the information contained in a request for an absentee ballot received by the county auditor is complete and correct and the applicant is qualified to vote under federal or state law, the county auditor shall issue an absentee ballot for the primary or election for which the absentee ballot was requested.  Otherwise, the county auditor shall notify the applicant of the reason or reasons why the request cannot be accepted.

    At each general election in an even-numbered year, each absentee voter shall also be given a separate ballot containing the names of the candidates that have filed for the office of precinct committee officer ((unless fewer than two candidates have filed for the same political party in the absentee voter's precinct)).  The ballot shall provide space for writing in the name of additional candidates.

    When mailing an absentee ballot to a registered voter temporarily outside the state or to an out-of-state voter, overseas voter, or service voter, the county auditor shall send a copy of the state voters' and candidates' pamphlet with the absentee ballot.  The county auditor shall mail all absentee ballots and related material to voters outside the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia under 39 U.S.C. 3406.

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