BILL REQ. #:  H-3973.1 

Read first time 01/10/2006.   Referred to Committee on State Government Operations & Accountability.

     AN ACT Relating to strengthening voter secrecy; and amending RCW 29A.16.060 and 29A.60.230.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 29A.16.060 and 2003 c 111 s 406 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) At any special election or primary, the county auditor may combine, unite, or divide precincts and may combine or unite election boards for the purpose of holding such election. At any general election, the county auditor may combine or unite election boards for the purpose of holding such election((, but shall report all election returns by individual precinct)).
     (2) At any primary, special, or general election:
     (a) The county auditor may report election returns by individual precinct only if the election returns in every contested race, including returns for every ballot type used for that race, are not unanimous;
     (b) If any precinct's election returns in one or more contested races of all ballot types used are unanimous, the county auditor shall, to the extent practicable, report election returns by aggregating precinct election results until all races in an election are reported with nonunanimous results. To the extent practicable, precincts for which results are aggregated must be contiguous.

Sec. 2   RCW 29A.60.230 and 2003 c 111 s 1523 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Immediately after the official results of a state primary or general election in a county are ascertained, the county auditor or other election officer shall, subject to the reporting requirements provided in RCW 29A.16.060, make an abstract of the number of registered voters in each precinct and of all the votes cast in the county at such state primary or general election for and against state measures and for each candidate for federal, state, and legislative office or for any other office which the secretary of state is required by law to canvass. The cumulative report of the election and a copy of the certificate of the election must be transmitted to the secretary of state immediately, through electronic means and mailed with the abstract of votes no later than the next business day following the certification by the county canvassing board.
     (2) After each general election, the county auditor or other election officer shall, subject to the reporting requirements provided in RCW 29A.16.060, provide to the secretary of state a report of the number of absentee ballots cast in each precinct for and against state measures and for each candidate for federal, state, and legislative office or for any other office which the secretary of state is required by law to canvass. The report may be included in the abstract required by this section or may be transmitted to the secretary of state separately, but in no event later than March 31st of the year following the election. Absentee ballot results may be incorporated into votes cast at the polls for each precinct or may be reported separately on a precinct-by-precinct basis, subject to the reporting requirements provided in RCW 29A.16.060.
     (3) If absentee ballot results are not incorporated into votes cast at the polls, the county auditor or other election official ((may)) shall aggregate results from more than one precinct ((if the auditor, pursuant to rules adopted by the secretary of state, finds that reporting a single precinct's absentee ballot results would jeopardize the secrecy of a person's ballot. To the extent practicable, precincts for which absentee results are aggregated must be contiguous)) as required by RCW 29A.16.060.