H-1872.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1395

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives D. Sommers, Sheldon, Gombosky, Dunn, Cairnes, Sterk, D. Schmidt, Mulliken, Boldt, Benson, McMorris, Murray, Tokuda, Scott and Regala)

Read first time 02/14/97.

Clarifying procedures for filling vacancies.

    AN ACT Relating to the filling of vacancies in legislative and partisan county offices; adding new sections to chapter 42.12 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The purpose of this act is to clarify and provide additional details on the procedure under Article II, section 15 of the state Constitution for filling vacancies in legislative or partisan county offices.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 42.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The three persons who are nominated to be appointed by a county legislative authority or authorities to fill a vacancy in a state legislative office or partisan county office may be named at any time after the legislator or partisan county office holder submits his or her letter of resignation to the proper authority under RCW 42.12.020, whether the resignation becomes effective immediately or at a specified date in the future.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 42.12 RCW to read as follows:

    A precinct committee officer may vote on a nomination only if he or she was elected as a precinct committee officer or a letter of his or her appointment has been on file with the county auditor for at least thirty days.  However, a precinct committee officer who is eligible to vote on nominations may submit a letter to the county auditor authorizing another person who is a registered voter residing in the precinct to act as his or her substitute for purposes of voting on the nominations.

    A precinct committee officer, or designated substitute, who arrives at the meeting place after the voting on a nomination has started may not vote on the nomination.

    Each precinct committee officer, or designated substitute, who votes on such a nomination must sign an attendance form opposite his or her precinct name or number.  The registrar shall report to the chairperson the number of precinct committee officers or designated substitutes who have signed the attendance form before a vote may be taken on nominations.

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