Title: An act relating to filing declarations of candidacy.

Brief Description: Allowing more candidates to file with the secretary of state.

Sponsors: By House Committee on State Government Operations & Accountability (originally sponsored by Representatives Nixon, Haigh and Shabro).

Brief History:

State Government Operations & Accountability: 1/26/05, 2/11/05 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/4/05, 96-0.
Passed Senate: 4/14/05, 37-0.
Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ACCOUNTABILITY

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

Staff: Jim Morishima (786-7191).

Background:

A candidate for the state Legislature, the court of appeals, or the superior court must file a declaration of candidacy with the county auditor if the district in which the candidate is running is composed of voters from only one county. If the district is composed of voters from more than one county, the candidate must file with the Secretary of State.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

A candidate for the state Legislature, the court of appeals, or the superior court may file a declaration of candidacy with either the Secretary of State or the county auditor if the district in which the candidate is running is composed of voters from only one county. If the candidate files with the Secretary of State, the filing fee must be sent to the county auditor. For purposes of the rest of the election laws, the candidate is deemed to have filed with the county auditor, even if he or she actually filed with the Secretary of State.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Washington is a leader in e-government. The Secretary of State allows e-filing, but most counties do not. This bill gives access to e-filing to candidates without requiring county auditors to put e-filing in place.

(With concerns on original bill) The manner in which this bill is drafted may have unintended collateral effects on other election laws, in which certain duties are given to the officer with whom the candidate filed for office. The filing fee should go back to the county.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Nixon, prime sponsor; Bob Terwilliger, Snohomish County Auditor; and Katie Blinn, Office of the Secretary of State.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.