BILL REQ. #:  S-1833.2 

Read first time 02/24/2005.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:
     THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article III, section 4 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

     Article III, section 4. The returns of every election for the officers named in the first section of this article shall be sealed up and transmitted to the seat of government by the returning officers, directed to the secretary of state, who shall ((deliver the same to the speaker of the house of representatives at the first meeting of the house thereafter, who shall open, publish and)) canvass the returns, declare the result thereof in the presence of a majority of the members of both houses, and transmit a certified copy to the governor. The person having the highest number of votes shall be declared duly elected, and a certificate thereof shall be given to such person, signed by the ((presiding officers of both houses)) secretary of state; but if any two or more shall be highest and equal in votes for the same office, one of them shall be chosen by ((the joint vote of both houses)) lot in a procedure conducted publicly by the secretary of state. Contested elections for such officers shall be decided by the ((legislature)) courts in such manner as shall be determined by law. The terms of all officers named in section one of this article shall commence on the second Monday in January after their election until otherwise provided by law.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.