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                          HOUSE BILL 2333

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Romero, McDermott, D. Schmidt and Woods; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 01/15/2002.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Regulating voter registration applications.

    AN ACT Relating to voter registration applications; and amending RCW 29.07.115.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.07.115 and 1994 c 57 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:

No person, organization, or association may distribute voter registration applications within this state that contain a return address other than that of the office of the secretary of state or the appropriate county auditor.

No person printing voter registration forms may include advertising of any kind, or statements advocating or opposing candidates, ballot measures, or political positions, as a part of the voter registration application.

No person distributing voter registration forms may use a postal permit or meter to pay the postage for the individual return of voter registration forms.

A person or organization collecting voter registration applications has a responsibility to protect the privacy of persons whom they are assisting with voter registration.  No voter registration form, as established by RCW 29.07.070, that has been signed by a prospective voter, may be copied, nor may the information contained in it be recorded before official processing by county or state voter registration officials.

    A person or organization collecting voter registration application forms must transmit the forms to the secretary of state or a designee at least once weekly.

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