Title: An act relating to electronic voter registration.

Brief Description: Allowing electronic voter registration.

Sponsors: Senators Finkbeiner, Fairley, Berkey, Benton and Kline; by request of Secretary of State.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 1/12/06.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Staff: Mac Nicholson (786-7445)

Background: Voter registration applications are available on-line at a number of sites, including the Secretary of State's web site and various county auditor web sites. However, the applicant cannot actually apply on-line, rather the applicant must print the application and mail or deliver it to the county auditor or the Secretary of State.

Summary of Bill: A person may submit an electronic voter registration application through the Secretary of State's web site. Applicants must have a Washington State driver's license or Washington State identification card, and must agree to the use of the driver's license or identification card signature for voter registration purposes. For electronic registration application, the Secretary of State must obtain a digital copy of the applicant's driver's license or identification card signature from the Department of Licensing.

Electronic voter registration applications must affirm that the information on the application is true and a place where the applicant assents to use of the signature on his or her driver's license or identification card for registration purposes.

The date of submission determines the date of registration for electronic applications. A person may not use electronic voter registration during the late in-person registration period.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: January 1, 2007.

Testimony For: This is a program the Secretary of State has been wanting to implement for years. Arizona has a successful on-line registration program. A person must go face to face with a licensing agent in order to get a license, and the signature on the license is used for registration purposes. This program would help with efficiency, the cost is reasonable, and federal funds are available. Candidates can already file for office on-line and the voters pamphlet is available on-line. This bill is just an extension of current processes.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Sam Reed, Secretary of State; Shane Hamlin, Office of the Secretary of State.