Brief Description: Making voter registration available at state agencies.

Sponsors: Representatives Miloscia, Chase, Hasegawa, McDermott, Pettigrew, Upthegrove, Roberts, Darneille and Goodman.

Hearing Date: 1/31/07

Staff: Colleen Kerr (786-7168).

Background:

In 1992, Washington began offering voter registration services through the state Department of Licensing (DOL). Washington's voter registration policy through the DOL was part of the impetus behind the 1993 federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). In 1994, the Legislature then enacted the state Motor Voter statute to meet the requirements of the NVRA.

The NVRA requires states to provide the opportunity to apply to register to vote for federal elections by three means:

• at the same time a person applies for a driver's license or seeks to renew a driver's license;
• at all offices that provide public assistance and all offices that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities; each applicant for any of these services, renewal of services, or address changes must be provided with a voter registration form of a declination form as well as assistance in completing the form and forwarding the completed application to the appropriate state or local election official; and,
• by mail using mail-in-forms developed by each state and the Election Assistance Commission.

In Washington, the Motor Voter statute requires the Department of Licensing to provide voter registration services when a person applies for or renews a driver's license or state identification card. It also allows the Governor, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate agencies to offer voter registration services and proscribes a procedure for registration at those agencies. Institutions of higher education are required to place an active prompt of its course registration website that links to the Secretary of State's voter registration website and ask the student if they would like to register to vote.

In addition to the Department of Licensing, the following agencies and programs offer voter registration as required by the NVRA:

• The Department of Health's Women-Infants-Children Program;
• The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)Community Services Offices;
• The DSHS's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation;
• The DSHS's Mental Health Division;
• The DSHS's Ageing and Disabilities Service Administration; and
• The Department of Services for the Blind.

Summary of Bill:

Requires state agencies that provide an in-person public to provide voter registration services any time a person applies or receives an in-person public service at a state agency.

Requires all state agency web pages to have a link the Secretary of State's voter registration web page.

Requires state agencies providing voter registration to keep records of people who request, apply, or receive an in-person public service; who register to vote, transfer an voter registration, or decline to do either; and, request an application, but do not turn it in to the agency.

Requires the Secretary of State to produce an annual report using this data on a county by county basis.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Preliminary fiscal note available.

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