HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No.  HB 1534

Relating to allocating presidential electors.

Brief Title                              Hearing Date: 2/10/99

Reps. Dunshee, Romero                    Staff:  Scott MacColl

Sponsor(s)                          State Government Committee

                                              Phone:  786-7106

BACKGROUND:

The state is allotted as many electoral votes as there are senators and representatives in congress.  Each major party and any minor or independent party that holds a convention under chapter 29.24 RCW that nominates candidates for president and vice-president shall nominate presidential electors for the state.  Electors are required to vote for the candidates nominated by their party.  Under the existing system, the candidates that receive the majority of the votes receive all of the electoral votes for the state. 

SUMMARY:

Electoral votes for president and vice-president must be allocated based on their proportional share of the state-wide popular vote.  The allocation must be made in whole numbers only, with fractions one-half or greater being rounded up, and fractions less than one-half rounded down.  If total elector votes exceeds the state allotment, the rounding process will be adjusted as follows:

CThe candidate with the smallest fractional proportion above one-half will be reduced to the lower whole number, and allocation among the candidates will be redone;

CIf this reduction does not reduce total allocated electors to the state allotment level then the remaining candidates with the smallest fractional proportion above one-half will be reduced to the next lowest number and  allocation among the remaining candidates will be redone; and

CSuccessive adjustments of the lowest remaining fractional proportion above one-half will be made and the allocation redone, until the number of electors allocated equals the number of electors allotted to the state.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

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