HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No.  HB 1509

Permitting mail balloting for the presidential primary.

Brief Title                               Hearing Date: 2/9/99

Reps. Schmidt, D., Kessler and Wolfe       Staff: Steve Lundin

Sponsor(s)                          State Government Committee

                                              Phone:  786-7127

BACKGROUND:

1. Presidential preference primary.

A state presidential preference primary is held on the fourth Tuesday of May in the year of the presidential election.  This date may be moved if certain conditions are met.  Provisions are made for the Secretary of State to include on the ballot the names of candidates for each major political party who seeks nomination from that party for president of the United States.

Any voter may receive a ballot that includes all of the names of candidates for every major political party.  However, a voter may subscribe to a particular party declaration and receive a separate distinguishable ballot that only includes the names of the candidates to be the nominee of that major political party for the presidency.

A major political party may base its allocation of delegates to its national nominating convention based in whole or in part upon the results of the presidential preference primary.

2. Voting at polls, absentee voting, and mail ballot elections.

Votes may be cast in this state at polling sites or by absentee ballots or mail ballots.  Any voter may receive an absentee ballot for a single election or may become an ongoing absentee voter.  Three separate provisions exist for mail ballots to be used:

oA county auditor may designate certain precincts as mail ballot precincts and all subsequent primaries and elections are conducted in those precincts using mail ballots.

oA local government requesting a special election may request, and the county auditor may allow, the special election be conducted using mail ballots if a partisan office does not appear on the ballot.

oA county auditor may provide for a primary in an odd-numbered year to be conducted using mail ballots if a partisan office does not appear on the ballot.

SUMMARY:

A county auditor may conduct voting at a presidential preference primary using mail ballots.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.