BILL REQ. #: Z-0208.1
| State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/14/11. Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections.
AN ACT Relating to cancellation of the 2012 presidential primary; amending RCW 29A.56.020; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 29A.56.020 and 2003 c 111 s 1402 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) On the fourth Tuesday in May of each year in which a president
of the United States is to be nominated and elected, a presidential
primary shall be held at which voters may vote for the nominee of a
major political party for the office of president. The secretary of
state may propose an alternative date for the primary no later than the
first day of August of the year before the year in which a president is
to be nominated and elected.
(2) No later than the first day of September of the year before the
year in which a presidential nominee is selected, the state committee
of any major political party that will use the primary results for
candidates of that party may propose an alternative date for that
primary.
(3) If an alternative date is proposed under subsection (1) or (2)
of this section, a committee consisting of the chair and the vice-chair
of the state committee of each major political party, the secretary of
state, the majority leader and minority leader of the senate, and the
speaker and the minority leader of the house of representatives shall
meet and, if affirmed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the
committee, the date of the primary shall be changed. The committee
shall meet and decide on the proposed alternate date not later than the
first day of October of the year before the year in which a
presidential nominee is selected. The secretary of state shall convene
and preside over the meeting of the committee. A committee member
other than a legislator may appoint, in writing, a designee to serve on
his or her behalf. A legislator who is a member of the committee may
appoint, in writing, another legislator to serve on his or her behalf.
(4) If an alternate date is approved under this section, the
secretary of state shall adopt rules under RCW 29A.04.620 to adjust the
deadlines in RCW 29A.56.030 and related provisions of this chapter to
correspond with the date that has been approved.
(5) No presidential primary may be held in 2012.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 Section 1 of this act expires January 1,
2013.