SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1666

BYHouse Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Anderson, Hankins, R. Fisher, Jacobsen, R. King, Bristow, Silver, Rector, McLean, O'Brien, Prentice, Wineberry, Todd, Morris, Sayan, Beck, Wang, Ferguson, Van Luven, P. King, Nutley, Pruitt, Winsley, Youngsman and Nelson; by request of Secretary of State)

Establishing voter registration along with driver licensing.

House Committe on State Government

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 28, 1989

Majority Report:  Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Madsen, Nelson, Niemi, Rasmussen, Rinehart, Talmadge.

Senate Staff:Jon Carlson (786-7459)

                  March 28, 1989

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 30, 1989

Senate Staff:Featherstone Reid (786-7715)

                  March 29, 1989

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE, MARCH 28, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Statistics indicate that, despite significant population growth over the last decade, voter participation in elections has been declining, particularly at the national level.  State election officials are concerned with this downward trend in voter turnout, and are proposing ways to broaden and facilitate the current voter registration process.  One method is to allow voter registration at driver's licensing facilities (motor voter).

SUMMARY:

A person may register to vote or transfer a voter registration when he or she applies for or renews a driver's license or identification card, and provides the driver licensing agent with information necessary to ensure correct identification and location of residence.  Before issuing an original license, identification card, or license renewal, the licensing agent must determine if the applicant wants to register to vote or transfer his or her registration.  If so, the agent provides the applicant with a voter registration form with instructions, and then records the applicant's request to register to vote.

Each driver's licensing facility in the state is required to send completed voter registration forms to the Secretary of State's office at the end of each week.  The Department of Licensing must produce and transmit at the end of each week to the Secretary of State a machine-readable file containing information from the records of each individual who requests a voter registration or transfer.

The Secretary of State must sort the records in the machine-readable file according to the county in which the applicant registers to vote.  The secretary delivers the voter registration forms received from the Department of Licensing, the machine-readable files, and a control listing of voter registration transactions to the county auditors no later than ten days after transmittal from the driver's licensing facilities.

The current voter registration requirements and forms are modified to ensure conformity with the motor voter registration provisions. 

The Secretary of State is required to coordinate with the Department of Licensing and county auditors in order to implement these provisions.  In addition, the secretary must adopt rules to maintain the safeguards of the voter registration process.

Appropriation:    $123,000 or as much thereof as necessary, for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the Secretary of State.

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      requested February 28, 1989

Effective Date:January 1, 1991

Senate Committee - Testified: LAW & JUSTICE:  Representative Cal Anderson (pro); Don Whiting, Secretary of State's Office (pro); Ralph Osborne, Department of Licensing (pro)