S-1241               _______________________________________________

 

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 5187

                        _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Pullen, Talmadge, Nelson, Hayner, Thorsness, Rasmussen and Madsen)

 

 

Read first time 1/26/89.

 

 


AN ACT Relating to nonpartisan and judicial elections; amending RCW 29.21.150 and 29.80.020; adding a new section to chapter 29.21 RCW; and repealing RCW 29.21.180.

 

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

 

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 10, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. as amended by section 5, chapter 120, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and RCW 29.21.150 are each amended to read as follows:

          The name of the ((person)) candidate who receives the greatest number of votes and of the ((person)) candidate who receives the next greatest number of votes at the primary for a single nonpartisan position shall appear on the general election ballot in that order under the ((designation therefor:  PROVIDED, That in elections for justices of the supreme court, judges of the court of appeals and judges of the superior court, and for state superintendent of public instruction, if any candidate in the primary receives a majority of all the votes cast for the position, only the name of the person receiving the highest vote shall be printed on the general election ballot under the designation for that position, followed by a space for the writing in of any other name by a voter)) title of that office.

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 29.21 RCW to read as follows:

          The name of a candidate for justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of appeals, judge of the superior court, judge of the district court, or superintendent of public instruction may appear on the general election ballot only if the candidate receives at the primary a number of votes equal to at least one percent of the total number cast for all candidates for the position sought.

 

        Sec. 3.  Section 29.80.020, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 2, chapter 54, Laws of 1984 and RCW 29.80.020 are each amended to read as follows:

          At a time to be determined by the secretary of state, but in any event not later than forty-five days before the applicable state general election, each nominee for the office of United States senator, United States representative, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of public lands, insurance commissioner, state senator, state representative, justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of appeals, or judge of the superior court may file with the secretary of state a written statement advocating his or her candidacy accompanied by the campaign mailing address and telephone number submitted by the nominee at the nominee's option, and a photograph not more than five years old and of a size and quality that the secretary of state determines to be suitable for reproduction in the voters' pamphlet.  The maximum number of words for the statements shall be determined according to the offices sought as follows:  State representative, one hundred words; state senator, judge of the superior court, judge of the court of appeals, justice of the supreme court, and all state offices voted upon throughout the state, except that of governor, two hundred words; United States senator, United States representative, and governor, three hundred words.  ((No such statement or photograph may be printed in the candidates' pamphlet for any person who is the sole nominee for any nonpartisan or judicial office.))

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  Section 2, chapter 10, Laws of 1970 ex. sess., section 7, chapter 21, Laws of 1973 2nd ex. sess., section 8, chapter 183, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 29.21.180 are each repealed.