5561 AMH CHAB KERR 094

SB 5561 - H AMD TO H AMD 595 (5561 AMH GREE KERR 085) 678

By Representative Chandler

   Beginning on page 1, at the beginning of line 3 of the amendment, strike all material through "2008."" on page 6, line 37, and insert the following:

   ""NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29A.08 to read as follows:

   (1) The legislature finds that one of the most fundamental rights is the right to vote, and it is the duty of government to actively encourage voter registration and to make this opportunity widely available to eligible citizens. It is the intent of the legislature to facilitate this process by examining voter registration up to and on election day as a method to encourage voter registration and to improve voter turn-out.

   (2) The legislature intends to establish a pilot to allow voter registration from the end of the late registration period, as defined in RCW 29A.08.145, up to and on election day for the presidential primary of 2008. The secretary of state shall select a county and conduct a pilot of late voter registration to examine its use a method for increasing the number of registered voters in a county and for increasing voter turn-out. Eligible counties are those with a population greater than eighty thousand and less than one hundred fifty thousand as of June 30, 2007, as determined by the office of financial management.

   (3) For the purposes of implementing the pilot program, the secretary of state shall develop and adopt rules governing the conduct of voter registration from the end of the late registration period, as defined in RCW 29A.08.145, up to and on election day.

   (4) The secretary of state shall submit its findings and recommendation from implementation of the pilot program to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and senate by December 1, 2008.

   (5) This section expires December 31, 2008.""

EFFECT: Strikes the underlying amendment. Creates a pilot project in a county selected by the Secretary of State that allows voter registration from the close of the late registration period up to and on Election day for the 2008 Presidential Primary; counties eligible for selection must have a population between 80,000-150,000 as determined by the office of financial management. Requires the Secretary of State to submit a report on the pilot to the appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 2008.