S-0826.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5517

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Roach, Sheahan, Honeyford, Johnson, Stevens, McDonald, Swecker, Morton, Hewitt, McCaslin, Finkbeiner and Hochstatter

Read first time 01/25/2001.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Requiring affirmation of voting qualifications for registration.

    AN ACT Relating to voter registration; amending RCW 46.20.155; and adding a new section to chapter 29.07 RCW.

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:

    Every registrar, deputy registrar, registration assistant, or other individual providing voter registration assistance shall ask the following questions of all applicants:

    First:  "Do you want to register to vote or transfer your voter registration?"

    Second:  "Are you a United States citizen?"

    Third:  "Are you at least eighteen years old?"

    Fourth:  "Will you have lived in the state at your current address for at least thirty days before the next election?"

    Fifth:  "Do you confirm that your civil rights have not been denied as the result of being convicted of a felony?"

    If an applicant responds to all questions in the affirmative, the individual shall provide the applicant with a voter registration form and instructions.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 46.20.155 and 1990 c 143 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    Before issuing an original license or identification card or renewing a license or identification card under this chapter, the licensing agent shall determine if the applicant wants to register to vote or transfer his or her voter registration((.)) by asking the following questions:

First:  "Do you want to register to vote or transfer your voter registration?"

Second:  "Are you a United States citizen?"

Third:  "Are you at least eighteen years old?"

Fourth:  "Will you have lived in the state at your current address for at least thirty days before the next election?"

Fifth:  "Do you confirm that your civil rights have not been denied as the result of being convicted of a felony?"

    If the applicant ((chooses to register or transfer a registration)) responds in the affirmative to all questions, the agent shall provide the applicant with a voter registration form and instructions and shall record that the applicant has requested to register to vote or transfer a voter registration.

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