Z-1504               _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1770

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Fisher, Hankins, Basich, Lewis, Taylor, Day, Belcher, Holland, Wang, Pruitt, Winsley and Schoon;by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 1/25/88 and referred to Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics.

AN ACT Relating to the presidential nominating process; creating a presidential preference primary for major political parties; adding a new chapter to Title 29 RCW; providing an effective date; and providing for a referendum.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     In each year in which a president of the United States is to be nominated and elected, a presidential preference primary shall be held at which voters of this state may express their choice among major political party candidates for nomination to the office of president of the United States.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     Except where the rules of the national committee of a major political party specifically provide otherwise, the number of delegates and the number of alternates from each congressional district of this state to the national nominating convention of a major political party shall be selected by the state convention of that party and shall bear the same proportion to the total number of delegates and alternates allotted to that congressional district as the total vote received by the candidate in that congressional district bears to the total combined vote cast in the presidential preference primary for all candidates of that party in that district.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The legislature shall establish a procedure by which candidates of the respective parties shall qualify to have their names appear on the ballot at the presidential preference primary and shall specify such other procedures as may be necessary.

          (2)  Where this chapter does not specifically indicate otherwise, the presidential preference primary shall be conducted and canvassed in the manner provided by state law for the conduct and canvassing of primaries for partisan state offices.

          (3) The secretary of state may adopt additional rules to facilitate the operation, accomplishment, and purposes of this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Sections 1 through 3 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 29 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 1 through 4 of this act shall take effect on January 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act shall be submitted to the people for their adoption and ratification, or rejection, at the next succeeding general election to be held in this state, in accordance with Article II, section 1 of the state Constitution, as amended, and the laws adopted to facilitate the operation thereof.