S-0469.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5045
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senator Benton
Read first time 01/13/97. Referred to Committee on Government Operations.
AN ACT Relating to the rotation of names on primary and general election ballots; amending RCW 29.30.025, 29.30.081, and 29.80.060; and repealing RCW 29.30.040.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 29.30.025 and 1990 c 59 s 80 are each amended to read as follows:
After
the close of business on the last day for candidates to ((file for office))
withdraw, the ((filing officer)) county auditor of each county
shall((, from among those filings made in person and by mail,))
determine by lot the single order in which the names of ((those))
candidates will appear on all ((sample and absentee)) ballots for any
partisan or nonpartisan office that will be voted upon by voters in the county
at the primary. ((In the case of candidates for city, town, and
district office, this procedure shall also determine the order for candidate
names on the official primary ballot used at the polling place. The
determination shall be done publicly and may be witnessed by the media and by
any candidate.)) After the primary, or if no primary is required
for any nonpartisan office under RCW 29.15.150 or 29.21.015, the county
auditor of each county shall determine by lot the single order in which the
names ((shall)) of nominees or candidates will appear on all
ballots for any partisan or nonpartisan office that will be voted upon by the
voters in that county at the general election ((ballot in the order
determined by lot)).
A determination by lot under this section must be done publicly and may be witnessed by the media and by any candidate or nominee for the office, or a representative of the candidate or nominee.
Sec. 2. RCW 29.30.081 and 1990 c 59 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) On the top of each ballot there shall be printed instructions directing the voters how to mark the ballot, including write-in votes. After the instructions and before the offices shall be placed the questions of adopting constitutional amendments or any other state measure authorized by law to be submitted to the voters at that election.
(2)
((The candidate or candidates of the major political party which received
the highest number of votes from the electors of this state for the office of
president of the United States at the last presidential election shall appear
first following the appropriate office heading, the candidate or candidates of
the other major political parties shall follow according to the votes cast for
their nominees for president at the last presidential election, and independent
candidates and the candidate or candidates of all other parties shall follow in
the order of their qualification with the secretary of state.
(3))) The
names of candidates for president and vice-president for each political party
shall be grouped together with a single response position for a voter to
indicate his or her choice.
(((4)))
(3) All paper ballots and ballot cards shall be sequentially numbered in
such a way to permit removal of such numbers without leaving any identifying
marks on the ballot.
Sec. 3. RCW 29.80.060 and 1965 c 9 s 29.80.060 are each amended to read as follows:
Whenever practical, the secretary of state shall cause the pamphlets to be printed so that no candidate's picture or statement shall be included in the copy of the pamphlet going to any county where such candidate is not to be voted for.
((The
candidates' photographs and statements shall appear in the pamphlet in the same
sequence as the positions sought appear on the state general election ballot.))
The secretary of state shall determine by lot the single order in which the
names of nominees or candidates will appear for federal and state offices in
the state candidates' pamphlet.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. RCW 29.30.040 and 1990 c 59 s 94, 1977 ex.s. c 361 s 54, & 1965 c 9 s 29.30.040 are each repealed.
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