S-0294.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5069

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Hargrove and Gardner

Read first time 01/10/2001.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Ensuring absentee voting for precinct committee officers.

    AN ACT Relating to absentee voting for precinct committee officers; and amending RCW 29.36.030.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.36.030 and 1991 c 81 s 31 are each amended to read as follows:

    If the information contained in a request for an absentee ballot received by the county auditor is complete and correct and the applicant is qualified to vote under federal or state law, the county auditor shall issue an absentee ballot for the primary or election for which the absentee ballot was requested.  Otherwise, the county auditor shall notify the applicant of the reason or reasons why the request cannot be accepted.

    At each general election in an even-numbered year, each absentee voter shall also be given a separate ballot containing the names of the candidates that have filed for the office of precinct committee officer ((unless fewer than two candidates have filed for the same political party in the absentee voter's precinct)).  The ballot shall provide space for writing in the name of additional candidates.

    When mailing an absentee ballot to a registered voter temporarily outside the state or to an out-of-state voter, overseas voter, or service voter, the county auditor shall send a copy of the state voters' and candidates' pamphlet with the absentee ballot.  The county auditor shall mail all absentee ballots and related material to voters outside the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia under 39 U.S.C. 3406.

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