S-0206.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5213

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Roach, Rossi, Finkbeiner, Long, Morton, West, Hale and Stevens

Read first time 01/16/2001.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Requiring voter registration to be done only in person.

    AN ACT Relating to the method of voter registration; amending RCW 29.07.430 and 29.10.020; adding a new section to chapter 29.07 RCW; and repealing RCW 29.08.010, 29.08.020, 29.08.030, 29.08.040, 29.08.050, 29.08.060, 29.08.070, 29.08.080, 29.08.090, and 29.08.900.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 29.07 RCW to read as follows:

    Voter registration may be done only in person.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 29.07.430 and 1994 c 57 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A person may register to vote or transfer a voter registration when he or she applies for service or assistance and with each renewal, recertification, or change of address at agencies designated under RCW 29.07.420.

    (2) A prospective applicant shall initially be offered a form adopted by the secretary of state that is designed to determine whether the person wishes to register to vote.  The form must comply with all applicable state and federal statutes regarding content.

    The form shall also contain a box that may be checked by the applicant to indicate that he or she declines to register.

    If the person indicates an interest in registering or has made no indication as to a desire to register or not register to vote, the person shall be given ((a mail-in voter registration application or)) a prescribed agency application as provided by RCW 29.07.440.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 29.10.020 and 1994 c 57 s 35 are each amended to read as follows:

    To maintain a valid voter registration, a registered voter who changes his or her residence from one address to another within the same county shall transfer his or her registration to the new address in one of the following ways:  (1) ((Sending to the county auditor a signed request stating the voter's present address and the address from which the voter was last registered; (2))) Appearing in person before the auditor and signing such a request; (((3))) or (2) transferring the registration in the manner provided by RCW 29.10.170((; or (4) telephoning the county auditor to transfer the registration.  The telephone call transferring a registration by telephone must be received by the auditor before the precinct registration files are closed to new registrations for the next primary or special or general election in which the voter participates.

    The secretary of state may adopt rules facilitating the transfer of a registration by telephone authorized by this section)).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 29.08.010 (Definitions--Rules) and 1994 c 57 s 30 & 1993 c 434 s 1;

(2) RCW 29.08.020 (Duties of county auditor--Application of remainder of title) and 1993 c 434 s 2;

(3) RCW 29.08.030 (Authorization) and 1993 c 434 s 3;

(4) RCW 29.08.040 (Forms) and 1993 c 434 s 4;

(5) RCW 29.08.050 (Declaration and warning) and 1994 c 57 s 31 & 1993 c 434 s 5;

(6) RCW 29.08.060 (Auditor's procedure) and 1994 c 57 s 32 & 1993 c 434 s 6;

(7) RCW 29.08.070 (Form--Adoption, contents) and 1993 c 434 s 7;

(8) RCW 29.08.080 (Forms--Supplied without cost) and 1999 c 298 s 7 & 1993 c 434 s 8;

(9) RCW 29.08.090 (Violations of chapter) and 1993 c 434 s 9; and

(10) RCW 29.08.900 (Effective date--1993 c 434) and 1993 c 434 s 13.

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