H-0534.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1376

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Smith, Talcott, Mielke, McDonald, Mitchell, D. Sommers, Carrell, Dunn, Thompson and Bush

Read first time 01/23/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Increasing security of absentee ballot counting.

    AN ACT Relating to processing of incoming absentee ballots; and amending RCW 29.36.060.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.36.060 and 1991 c 81 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

    The ((opening and subsequent processing)) verification of signatures on return envelopes for any primary or election may begin on or after the tenth day prior to such primary or election.  The opening of the return and security envelopes and tabulation of absentee ballots shall not commence until after 8:00 o'clock p.m. on the day of the primary or election.

    After ((opening)) verification of signatures on the return envelopes, the county canvassing board shall count and place all of the ((ballot)) returned envelopes unopened, and the verified count of those envelopes, in containers ((that can be)) secured with numbered seals.  These sealed containers shall be stored in a secure location until after 8:00 o'clock p.m. of the day of the primary or election.  ((Absentee ballots that are to be tabulated on an electronic vote tallying system may be taken from the inner envelopes and all the normal procedural steps may be performed to prepare these ballots for tabulation before sealing the containers.))

    The canvassing board shall examine the postmark, statement, and signature on each return envelope containing the security envelope and absentee ballot.  They shall verify that the voter's signature is the same as that in the registration files for that voter.  For absentee voters other than out-of-state voters, overseas voters, and service voters, if the postmark is illegible, the date on the return envelope to which the voter attests shall determine the validity, as to the time of voting, of that absentee ballot under this chapter.  For any absentee voter, a variation between the signature of the voter on the return envelope and that in the registration files due to the substitution of initials or the use of common nicknames is permitted so long as the surname and handwriting are clearly the same.

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