S-3907.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6590

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Drew, Haugen, Spanel, Sheldon, Smith and Goings

Read first time 01/18/96.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Eliminating the possibility of electing superior court judges by plurality.

    AN ACT Relating to elections for superior court judges; and amending RCW 29.15.180.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.15.180 and 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 120 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

    Filings for a nonpartisan office (other than judge of the supreme court, superior court, or superintendent of public instruction) shall be reopened for a period of three normal business days, such three day period to be fixed by the election officer with whom such declarations of candidacy are filed and notice thereof given by notifying press, radio, and television in the county and by such other means as may now or hereafter be provided by law, when:

    (1) A void in candidacy for such nonpartisan office occurs on or after the fourth Tuesday prior to a primary but prior to the fourth Tuesday before an election; or

    (2) ((A nominee for judge of the superior court eligible after a contested primary for a certificate of election by Article 4, section 29, Amendment 41 of the state Constitution, dies or is disqualified within the ten day period when a petition for write-in candidacy may be received; or

    (3))) A vacancy occurs in any nonpartisan office on or after the fourth Tuesday prior to a primary but prior to the fourth Tuesday before an election leaving an unexpired term to be filled by an election for which filings have not been held.

    The candidate receiving a plurality of the votes cast for that office in the general election shall be deemed elected.

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