FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1572

                                  C 215 L 89

BYHouse Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Fisher and McLean; by request of Secretary of State)

Clarifying procedures for nominations of minor parties and independent candidates.

House Committe on State Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Minor party and independent candidates for partisan, elective offices must be nominated by conventions.  The convention must be attended by, and the nomination of each candidate must be supported by the signatures of, the greater of the following number of registered voters: 25; or one for each 10,000 persons who voted in the jurisdiction of the office sought at the last presidential election.

Certificates of nomination with the required number of supporting signatures must be filed with and canvassed by the Secretary of State.  A declaration of candidacy for each person nominated under this system must be filed with the Secretary of State within one week of the time the certificate of nomination is filed with the secretary.

SUMMARY:

The convention held for nominating a minor party or independent candidate for a partisan elective office must be attended by at least 25 registered voters. The nomination of candidates for the office of president and vice-president, U.S. senator, or state-wide office must be supported by the signatures of 200 registered voters obtained at one or more nominating conventions.  The nomination of a candidate for any other office must be supported by the signatures of 25 persons who are registered to vote in the jurisdiction of the office.  The signatures of these 25 voters must be obtained at a single convention instead of requiring these conventions to be held on one specific day, conventions may be held at any time during a specified week that is before the date on which declarations of candidacy may be filed for an election.

The certificates of nomination from a convention must be filed with the county auditor if the nominations are for offices entirely within one county.  If a convention nominates candidates for other offices, all certificates of nomination must be filed with the Secretary of State.

The elections officer with whom a certificate is filed must canvass the signatures and notify the presiding officer and other interested parties of the results. Appeals of the elections officer's determinations must be filed with the superior court. The nominating petitions are not available for public inspection or copying.

A convention nominating candidates for president and vice-president must submit lists of presidential electors to the Secretary of State within 10 days of the adjournment of the convention.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 95   0

      Senate    44     0

EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989