SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1572

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

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 23, 1989

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Thorsness, Vice Chairman; Conner, Sutherland.

Senate Staff:Sam Thompson (786-7754)

                  March 23, 1989

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 23, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Minor party and independent candidates for partisan, elective offices must be nominated by conventions.  These nominating conventions must be held on the last Saturday before the first day of the period for filing declarations of candidacy.  A nominating convention must be attended by (and the nomination of each candidate must be supported by) the greater of 25 registered voters or one registered voter for each 10,000 persons who voted in the jurisdiction of the office sought in the last presidential election.

Certificates of nomination with the required number of supporting signatures must be filed with the Secretary of State.  If the secretary finds invalid signatures, the presiding officer or secretary of the nominating convention may request the signatures to be rechecked by the appropriate county auditor.

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 nominating convention for 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 statewide office must be supported by the signatures of at least 200 registered voters obtained at one or more 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.  Conventions must be held during a specified week before the period for the filing of declarations of candidacy.

The certificates of nomination from a convention must be filed with the county auditor if the nominations are for offices whose jurisdiction is 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 check the signatures and ascertain whether there are sufficient valid signatures.  Appeals of the determination of the elections officer are made to superior court.  The requirement that the Secretary of State destroy signature lists submitted by nominating conventions nominations is stricken.  The nominating petitions are, however, 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.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Harriet Hoffman, New Alliance Party; Richard Shepard, Libertarian Party, Don Whiting, Secretary of State's Office (pro)