Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
State Government Committee

HB 1715

Brief Description:  Determining candidate order on primary ballots.

Sponsors:  Representatives Rockefeller, Romero, D. Schmidt and Ogden; by request of Secretary of State.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Eliminates the requirement of rotating the order that candidates appear on primary ballots.

Hearing Date:  2/14/01

Staff:  Catherine Blinn (786‑7114).

Background: 

The order in which candidates appear on sample and absentee ballots is determined by lot.  The order in which candidates for city, town, and district offices appear on primary ballots used at the polling places is also determined by lot.

The order in which candidates for federal, state, and county offices, for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and for judicial offices appear on primary ballots used at the polling places is initially determined by lot.  Additional sets of ballots are then prepared in which the names of the candidates are rotated within the particular office.  The names must be rotated in a manner that allows each candidate to appear first.  Consequently, there must be as many different sets of ballots as there are candidates in the office with the most candidates.  As much as possible, an equal number of ballots should be prepared for each set.

Summary of Bill: 

The candidates for federal, state, and county offices, for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and for judicial offices are no longer rotated within each office.  However, the order of these candidates continues to be determined by lot.

Rulemaking Authority:  No express authority.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 8, 2001.

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