H-3080              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2548

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives R. Fisher, McLean, Horn, R. King, Anderson, Todd and Wood

Read first time 1/15/90 and referred to Committee on State Government.

AN ACT Relating to precinct committee officers; and amending RCW 29.42.050.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 29.42.050, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 14, chapter 295, Laws of 1987 and RCW 29.42.050 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The statutory requirements for filing as a candidate at the primaries shall apply to candidates for precinct committee officer except that the filing period for this office alone shall be extended to and include the Friday immediately following the last day for political parties to fill vacancies in the ticket as provided by RCW 29.18.150((, and)).  The office of precinct committee officer shall not be voted upon at the primaries, but the names of all candidates must appear under the proper party and office designations on the ballot for the general November election for each even-numbered year ((and)).  Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the ((one)) candidate for the office receiving the highest number of votes cast for the office at the general election shall be declared elected((:  PROVIDED, That to be declared elected, a candidate must receive at least ten percent of the number of votes cast for the candidate of the candidate's party receiving the greatest number of votes in the precinct)).  Any person elected to the office of precinct committee officer who has not filed a declaration of candidacy shall pay the fee of one dollar to the county auditor for a certificate of election.

(2) If no one files a declaration of candidacy for the office of precinct committee officer of a political party in a precinct during the period specified by subsection (1) of this section for filing such declarations, a candidate for the office for that party in that precinct must satisfy the following to be elected to the office:  The candidate must receive at least ten percent of the number of votes cast for the candidate of the candidate's political party receiving the greatest number of votes in the precinct during the general election.

(3) The term of office of precinct committee officer shall be for two years, commencing upon completion of the official canvass of votes by the county canvassing board of election returns.  Should any vacancy occur in this office by reason of death, resignation, or disqualification of the incumbent, or because of failure to elect, the respective county chair of the county central committee shall be empowered to fill such vacancy by appointment:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That in legislative districts having a majority of its precincts in a class AA county, such appointment shall be made only upon the recommendation of the legislative district chair:  PROVIDED, That the person so appointed shall have the same qualifications as candidates when filing for election to such office for such precinct:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That when a vacancy in the office of precinct committee officer exists because of failure to elect at a state general election, such vacancy shall not be filled until after the organization meeting of the county central committee and the new county chair selected as provided by RCW 29.42.030.