H-1925              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1126

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representative Rayburn

Read first time 2/27/87 and referred to Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics.

AN ACT Relating to ballot cards; and amending RCW 29.34.125.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 67, chapter 361, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. as amended by section 13, chapter 167, Laws of 1986 and RCW 29.34.125 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) On the front of the first ballot page or prominently displayed on each voting device to be used at a general election, there shall be printed instructions directing the voters how to properly record a vote for any candidate and for or against any measure, including write-in votes.  After the instructions and before the offices shall be placed the questions of adopting constitutional amendments or any other state measure authorized by law to be submitted to the voters of such election.

          (2) All nominations of any party or group of petitioners shall be indicated by the title of such party or petitioners as designated by them in their certificate of nomination or petition, following the name of such candidate, and the name of each nominee shall be placed beside the designation of the office for which he has been nominated.

          (3) There shall be an arrow or other notation at the right edge of the ballot page opposite the name of each candidate indicating where the voter is to punch or otherwise mark his ballot card for that candidate.

          (4) Under the designation of the office, if more than one candidate is to be voted for there shall be indicated the number of candidates to such office to be voted for at such election.

          (5) If the election is in a year in which a president of the United States is to be elected, in spaces separated from the balance of the party tickets by a heavy black line, shall be the names and spaces for voting for candidates for president and vice president.  The names of candidates for president and vice president for each political party shall be grouped together, each group enclosed in brackets with a single arrow or other notation to the right.

          (6) All ballot cards for general elections shall be sequentially numbered, but done in such a way to permit removal of such numbers without leaving any identifying marks on the ballot.  Except where necessary to distinguish one ballot type from another within the same precinct, there shall be no ((printing on the back of the ballot cards nor any mark thereon to)) identifying marks on any ballot card that would distinguish ((an individual voter's ballot card)) it from any other ballot card((s)) from the same precinct.

(7) At any primary or election, general or special, where the names of the candidates or ballot measures are printed on both sides of the ballot card, instructions shall be printed on each side of the card which clearly explain to the voter that she or he is entitled to vote for the candidates or measures on both sides of the ballot card.