SSB 5499 -
By Senator Benton
NOT ADOPTED 03/11/2005
On page 8, after line 19 of the amendment, insert the following:
"Sec. 5 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;
(c) Identify suspected duplicate voters;
(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 -
By Senator Benton
NOT ADOPTED 03/11/2005
On page 22, on line 10 of the title amendment, after "29A.04.611," insert "29A.08.651,"
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 canceled;
(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.