Brief Description: Changing provisions relating to a candidate appearing on a ballot for two offices.

Sponsors: Representatives Hatfield, Clements, Haigh, Grant, Armstrong, Blake, Sump and Condotta.

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Allows a candidate to run for one additional office in an election if the office is for precinct committee officer (PCO), a temporary position, or a position paid on a per diem or per meeting basis for which there is no filing fee.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Miloscia, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Shabro, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Nixon, Tom and Wallace.

A candidate filing for office generally may not file for more than one office, or appear on the ballot for more than one office. The two exceptions to this rule are filings for precinct committee officer (PCO) and filings for a temporary position, such as charter review board member or freeholder. Consequently, a candidate may run for two offices simultaneously only if one of the positions is PCO or a temporary position.

Compensation for some elected positions is by way of a salary. Compensation for other positions, such as fire districts, water districts, sewer districts, public hospital districts, metropolitan park districts, school boards, and some town councils, is paid on a per diem or per meeting basis. The per diem or per meeting compensation is usually $50 or $70, not to exceed $4,800 or $6,720 respectively per year. If compensation for a position is on per diem or per meeting basis, candidates are not required to pay a filing fee.

Offices that are paid on a per diem basis or per meeting basis, and therefore do not require a filing fee, are added to the two existing exceptions, PCO and temporary elected positions, that allow a candidate to run for more than one office during the same election. A person may appear on the ballot as a candidate for one additional office if the office is PCO, a temporary position, or a position for which no filing fee is required.

The substitute bill clarifies that a candidate may run for only one additional office, rather than multiple additional offices. The substitute bill also specifies that a candidate may not file for more than one position within an office.

Testimony For: This bill will help those people who are active in their communities to participate in the smaller, elected boards, commissions, and districts. This is especially important in rural areas, where it can be difficult to find enough people who are willing to get involved. The bill applies to those boards, commissions, and districts that are essentially volunteer positions. The Washington Association of County Officials supports the bill with the amendment, and is willing to work with the sponsors of the bill and the amendment to clarify the language of the bill.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Hatfield, prime sponsor; and Dean Logan, King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services Division.