PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Defining, for county auditors and county canvassing boards, guidelines for determining what votes can be counted on ballots with questionable marks.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 29.04.210, 29.36.150.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The United States Supreme Court's opinion in Bush v Gore indicated that standards should be set statewide as to how votes are counted. The proposed changes would standardize from county to county how ballots are evaluated and counted.
Process for Developing New Rule: Negotiated rule making.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Sheryl Moss, Office of the Secretary of State, P.O. Box 40232, Olympia, WA 98504, phone (360) 664-3653, fax (360) 664-3657, e-mail sheryl@secstate.wa.gov.
February 27, 2001
Steve Excell
Assistant Secretary of State