5499-S AMS BENT GORR 006

03/10/2005 PULLED

SSB 5499 - S AMD TO S AMD (KAST HESS 012)106

By Senator Benton

On page 6, after line 38 of the amendment, insert the following:

"Sec. 4. RCW 29A.08.651 and 2004 c 267 s 101 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the secretary of state shall create and maintain a statewide voter registration data base. This data base must be a single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized statewide voter registration list defined, maintained, and administered at the state level that contains the name and registration information of every legally registered voter in the state and assigns a unique identifier to each legally registered voter in the state.

(2) The computerized list must serve as the single system for storing and maintaining the official list of registered voters throughout the state.

(3) The computerized list must contain the name and registration information of every legally registered voter in the state.

(4) Under the computerized list, a unique identifier is assigned to each legally registered voter in the state.

(5) The computerized list must be coordinated with other agency data bases within the state, including but not limited to the department of corrections, the department of licensing, and the department of health.

(6) Any election officer in the state, including any local election officer, may obtain immediate electronic access to the information contained in the computerized list.

(7) All voter registration information obtained by any local election officer in the state must be electronically entered into the computerized list on an expedited basis at the time the information is provided to the local officer.

(8) The chief state election officer shall provide support, as may be required, so that local election officers are able to enter information as described in subsection (3) of this section.

(9) The computerized list serves as the official voter registration list for the conduct of all elections.

(10) The secretary of state has data authority on all voter registration data. The secretary of state shall, on a monthly basis, cross-check the data base against other agency data bases that could reveal names of persons whose voter registration should be canceled.

(11) The voter registration data base must be designed to accomplish at a minimum, the following:

(a) Comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-252);

(b) Identify duplicate voter registrations;

(d) Screen against the department of corrections and other appropriate state agency data bases on a monthly basis to aid in the cancellation of voter registration of felons;

(e) Provide up-to-date signatures of voters for the purposes of initiative signature checking;

(f) Provide for a monthly comparison between the voter registration data base and the department of licensing change of address data base;

(g) Provide online access for county auditors with the goal of real time duplicate checking and update capabilities; and

(h) Provide for the cancellation of voter registration for persons who have moved to other states and surrendered their Washington state drivers' licenses.

(12) In addition to any legal obligations of local election officers, the secretary of state in conjunction with the department of health shall arrange for a monthly comparison of any lists of known deaths maintained by the department of health with the statewide voter registration list. If a person is found on the department of health death list and the statewide voter registration list, the secretary of state or county auditor shall immediately cancel the voter registration from the official state voter registration list.

(13) In addition to any legal obligations of local election officers, the secretary of state in conjunction with the department of health, the department of social and health services, and the administrator for the courts shall arrange for a monthly comparison of any lists of persons known to have been declared mentally incompetent and unable to vote or placed under the care of a full guardianship due to their mental capacity. If a person is found on the department of health, the department of social and health services, or the administrator for the courts lists and the statewide voter registration list, the secretary of state or county auditor shall immediately cancel the voter registration from the official state voter registration list.

The administrator for the courts shall collect and maintain a list of all judicial determinations of full guardianship under RCW 11.88.010 and other cases where the court has ordered someone unable to vote.

(14) In addition to any legal obligations of local election officers, the secretary of state in conjunction with local election officers shall make at a minimum a monthly comparison of names on the statewide voter registration list, and if a person is found registered more than once on the statewide voter registration list, the secretary of state or county auditor shall immediately cancel all voter registrations for that voter in excess of one from the official state voter registration list."

Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

SSB 5499 - S AMD TO S AMD (KAST HESS 012)

By Senator Benton

On page 20, on line 21 of the title amendment, after "29A.04.611", insert "29A.08.651,"

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EFFECT: (1)Requires that secretary of state cross-check the statewide voter data base against other agency data bases that could reveal names of voters who should be cancelled;

(2) Secretary of state must arrange for a monthly comparison of the statewide voter data base with the department of health to identify known deaths and cancel voters that are found on both lists;

(3) Secretary of state must arrange for a monthly comparison of the statewide voter data base with the department of health, the department of social and health services, and the administrator for the courts to identify persons known to have been declared mentally incompetent or under full guardianship and cancel voters found on both lists; and

(4) Secretary of state shall make a monthly comparison of names on the statewide voter registration list and if a person is found to be registered twice, the secretary of state shall immediately cancel excess registrations from the list.