HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2672

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                  Government Administration

Title:  An act relating to elections.

Brief Description:  Requiring election procedures manuals.

Sponsors:  Representatives Smith, D. Schmidt, Scott, Gardner, Doumit and D. Sommers.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  1/27/98 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Chairman; D. Sommers, Vice Chairman; Scott, Ranking Minority Member; Gardner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Doumit; Dunn; Dunshee; Murray; Reams; Smith; L. Thomas; Wensman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state and is authorized to adopt rules relating to election matters that implement state statutes.

County auditors are the local election officials who conduct elections throughout their counties.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Each county auditor is required to develop an election procedures manual for the county that is organized clearly and written using text that is easily understood.  Copies of the manual must be distributed at cost to the public upon request.  The Secretary of State assists in preparation of these manuals by providing a model manual describing general election procedures.

Various matters are required to be described in the manual, including a discussion of different types of ballots and how they are processed and tabulated, the electronic vote tallying system used by the county, how a voter=s registration may be challenged, how votes are canvassed and certified by the county canvassing board, write-in voting and the tallying of write-in votes, when and how a true duplicate copy of a ballot is made, the appointment of observers by major political parties, appeals to a canvassing board, and recounting votes.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Copies of the manual are to be made available to the public at cost, rather than at no cost.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This will help citizens find out what the procedures are.  Many counties already have such manuals.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Dave Schmidt, prime sponsor; Sam Reed, County Auditors Association.