H-635 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL NO. 1594
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 51st Legislature 1989 Regular Session
By Representatives Nelson, R. Fisher, Miller, Anderson and Wineberry
Read first time 1/30/89 and referred to Committee on State Government.
AN ACT Relating to voter records; and amending RCW 29.07.080 and 29.51.060.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. Section 29.07.080, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 4, chapter 21, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. and RCW 29.07.080 are each amended to read as follows:
The registrar shall note the sex of the applicant on the registration form. He shall then require the applicant to sign an oath in the following form: "I, the undersigned, on oath or affirmation, do hereby declare that the facts set forth herein relating to my qualifications as a voter, recorded by the registration officer in my presence, are true. I further certify that I am not presently denied my civil rights as a result of being convicted of an infamous crime and that I will be at least eighteen years of age at the time of voting"; and the registration officer shall sign and date such oath in verification of the fact that the same was signed and sworn to before him in the following form: "Subscribed and sworn to before me this ..... day of .......... , 19.. , .......... Registration Officer".
The registration form shall contain a space permitting the applicant to designate a political party or independent preference, if any, but the form shall clearly state that such a designation is optional and is not a requirement of registration. If the person designates a party or independent preference as permitted under this section or under RCW 29.51.060, or if the person changes that designation, the preference shall become part of the voter registration records for the purposes of this chapter.
Otherwise the registration officer shall refuse to register the applicant. Upon receipt of the registration record, the county auditor shall note on the record all of the identifying code numbers and precinct in which the applicant resides.
Sec. 2. Section 29.51.060, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 41, chapter 202, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 29.51.060 are each amended to read as follows:
If any person appears and offers or demands the right to vote at any primary or election, as a registered voter in the precinct where the primary or election is held, the election officers shall require him to sign his name and current address subject to penalties of perjury in one of the official poll books or in a space provided on one of the precinct lists of registered voters, which shall be designated the county auditor's copy: PROVIDED, That if the person registered using a cross or mark, and being identified by the signature of some other person, the election officers must require the person offering to vote to be identified by the person who so signed, or by a registered voter of the precinct. Unless the identifying witness is personally known to the election officers, or to some of them, they may require the identifying witness to sign his name in the presence of the election officers for the purpose of identification.
The voter may record a political party or independent preference in a space also provided in the official poll book or precinct list or may indicate a change in the preference that has been printed on the poll book or list to reflect a preference previously filed by the voter as a part of the voter's registration records.
As soon as it is determined that the person is qualified to vote, one of the precinct election officers shall copy the voter's name and address on the corresponding line in a second poll book or precinct list of registered voters which shall be identified as the inspector's copy.