AN ACT Relating to providing options for local governments to adopt alternative voting procedures; amending RCW 29A.52.112, 29A.52.161, 29A.52.220, 29A.24.010, 28A.343.320, 36.32.020, and 36.32.040; adding a new section to chapter 29A.52 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35A.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 52.14 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 53.12 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 29A.52 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Any county, city, town, or district may eliminate the primary for any single or multiple position office within such jurisdiction, if adopted by appropriate action of the governing body. The elimination of the primary shall not change any deadlines for declaration of candidacy or other election deadlines in this chapter, unless expressly altered.

(2) Any county, city, town, or district may use a proportional voting system for any office with multiple positions, if adopted by appropriate action of the governing body.

(3) A proportional voting system may include, but is not limited to, rank choice voting, where voters designate multiple candidates for the same office by order of preference and the results are tabulated by a method of giving effect to the ranked preferences.

(4) The secretary of state must approve any proportional voting system before it is adopted by a county, city, town, or district, to ensure such system maintains compliance with state election law. The secretary of state may adopt rules to provide such an approval process.

Sec. 2.  RCW 29A.52.112 and 2014 c 7 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A primary is a first stage in the public process by which voters elect candidates to public office.

(2) Whenever candidates for a partisan office are to be elected, the general election must be preceded by a primary conducted under this chapter, except as provided in section 1 of this act. Based upon votes cast at the primary, the top two candidates will be certified as qualified to appear on the general election ballot, unless only one candidate qualifies as provided in RCW 29A.36.170.

(3) No primary may be held for any single county partisan office to fill an unexpired term if, after the last day allowed for candidates to withdraw, only one candidate has filed for the position.

(4) For partisan office, if a candidate has expressed a party preference on the declaration of candidacy, then that preference will be shown after the name of the candidate on the primary and general election ballots as set forth in rules of the secretary of state. A candidate may choose to express no party preference. Any party preferences are shown for the information of voters only and may in no way limit the options available to voters.

Sec. 3.  RCW 29A.52.161 and 2004 c 271 s 144 are each amended to read as follows:

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to mean that a voter may cast more than one vote for candidates for a given office. Any proportional voting system, as provided in section 1 of this act, must include a tabulation method that adheres to this standard.

Sec. 4.  RCW 29A.52.220 and 2013 c 195 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No primary may be held for any single position in any nonpartisan office if, after the last day allowed for candidates to withdraw, there are no more than two candidates filed for the position. The county auditor shall as soon as possible notify all the candidates so affected that the office for which they filed will not appear on the primary ballot.

(2) No primary may be held for the office of commissioner of a park and recreation district or for the office of cemetery district commissioner.

(3) Names of candidates for offices that do not appear on the primary ballot shall be printed upon the general election ballot in the manner specified by RCW 29A.36.131.

Sec. 5.  RCW 29A.24.010 and 2003 c 111 s 601 are each amended to read as follows:

Not less than thirty days before the first day for filing declarations of candidacy under RCW 29A.24.050 for legislative, judicial, county, city, town, or district office, where more than one position with the same name, district number, or title will be voted upon at the succeeding election, the filing officer shall designate the positions to be filled by number.

The positions so designated shall be dealt with as separate offices for all election purposes. With the exception of the office of justice of the supreme court, the position numbers shall be assigned, whenever possible, to reflect the position numbers that were used to designate the same positions at the last full-term election for those offices. This section does not apply where a county, city, town, or district has authorized a proportional voting system, as provided in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 6.  RCW 28A.343.320 and 2015 c 53 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Candidates for the position of school director shall file their declarations of candidacy as provided in Title 29A RCW.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the positions of school directors in each district shall be dealt with as separate offices for all election purposes, and where more than one position is to be filled, each candidate shall file for one of the positions so designated((: PROVIDED, That)).

(3) In school districts containing director districts, or a combination of director districts and director at large positions, candidates shall file for such director districts or at large positions. Position numbers shall be assigned to correspond to director district numbers to the extent possible.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  A new section is added to chapter 35.21 RCW to read as follows:

The legislative authority of a city or town may authorize a change to their electoral system, pursuant to section 1 of this act.

Sec. 8.  RCW 36.32.020 and 1982 c 226 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

The board of county commissioners of each county shall divide their county into three commissioner districts so that each district shall comprise as nearly as possible one-third of the population of the county: PROVIDED, That the territory comprised in any voting precincts of such districts shall remain compact, and shall not be divided by the lines of said districts.

However, the commissioners of any county composed entirely of islands and with a population of less than thirty-five thousand may divide their county into three commissioner districts without regard to population, except that if any single island is included in more than one district, the districts on such island shall comprise, as nearly as possible, equal populations.

The lines of the districts shall not be changed ((oftener)) more often than once in four years and only when a full board of commissioners is present. The districts shall be designated as districts numbered one, two, and three.

Sec. 9.  RCW 36.32.040 and 1982 c 226 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in ((subsection (2) of)) this section, the qualified electors of each county commissioner district, and they only, shall nominate from among their own number, candidates for the office of county commissioner of such commissioner district to be voted for at the following general election. Such candidates shall be nominated in the same manner as candidates for other county and district offices are nominated in all other respects.

(2) Where the commissioners of a county composed entirely of islands with a population of less than thirty-five thousand have chosen to divide the county into unequal-sized commissioner districts pursuant to the exception provided in RCW 36.32.020, the qualified electors of the entire county shall nominate from among their own number who reside within a commissioner district, candidates for the office of county commissioner of such commissioner district to be voted for at the following general election. Such candidates shall be nominated in the same manner as candidates for other county offices are nominated in all other respects.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  A new section is added to chapter 35A.21 RCW to read as follows:

The legislative authority of a code city or town may authorize a change to their electoral system to eliminate the primary, or provide a proportional voting system for any office with multiple positions, pursuant to section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11.  A new section is added to chapter 52.14 RCW to read as follows:

The board of fire commissioners of a fire protection district may authorize a change to their electoral system, pursuant to section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12.  A new section is added to chapter 53.12 RCW to read as follows:

The port commission may authorize a change to their electoral system, pursuant to section 1 of this act.

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