HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1540

                      As Passed House:

                       March 12, 1999

Title:  An act relating to elections.

Brief Description:  Requiring election procedures manuals.

Sponsors:  Representatives D. Schmidt and Romero.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government:  2/9/99, 2/24/99 [DPS];

Appropriations:  3/5/99, 3/7/99 [DP(w/o sub SG)].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/12/99, 97-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$County auditors are required to develop a written election procedures manual.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives McMorris, Republican Co-Chair; Romero, Democratic Co-Chair; Campbell, Republican Vice Chair; Miloscia, Democratic Vice Chair; Dunshee; Haigh; Lambert and D. Schmidt.

Staff:  Scott MacColl (786-7106).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass and do not pass the substitute bill by Committee on State Government.  Signed by 31 members:  Representatives Huff, Republican Co-Chair; H. Sommers, Democratic Co-Chair; Alexander, Republican Vice Chair; Doumit, Democratic Vice Chair; D. Schmidt, Republican Vice Chair; Barlean; Benson; Boldt; Carlson; Clements; Cody; Crouse; Gombosky; Grant; Kagi; Keiser; Kenney; Lambert; Linville; Lisk; Mastin; McIntire; McMorris; Mulliken; Parlette; Regala; Rockefeller; Ruderman; Sullivan; Tokuda and Wensman.

Staff:  Mark Matteson (786-7145).

Background:

The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state and is authorized to adopt rules relating to election matters that implement state statutes.

County auditors are the local election officials who conduct elections throughout their counties.

Summary of Bill:

Each county auditor is required to develop a written election procedures manual for their county, and copies of the manual must be available at cost.  The Secretary of State assists in preparation of these procedures by providing a model written procedures manual.

Numerous matters are required to be described in the county's procedure manual, including:

CA discussion of different types of ballots and how they are processed and tabulated;

CThe electronic vote tallying system used by the county;

CHow a voter's registration may be challenged;

CHow votes are canvassed and certified by the county canvassing board;

CThe procedures for write-in voting and the tallying of write-in votes;

CWhen and how a true duplicate copy of a ballot is made;

CThe procedure for the appointment of observers by major political parties;

CThe procedure for appeals to a canvassing board; and

CThe process for recounting votes.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: (State Government) This bill is a repeat of last year that passed the House.  Voters currently challenge the voting process, and this bill would require counties to develop a procedure manual.  This would safeguard counties from lawsuits. This also promotes consistency of elections among counties.

(Appropriations)  (Substitute bill) A similar version of this bill was passed by the House last year.  There is very little fiscal impact.  The bill will provide consistency in election procedures that the public can count on.  The public will have better access to election procedures. 

(Appropriations) (Concerns) The requirement to develop web page versions of the election procedures would be too burdensome for some counties.

Testimony Against: (State Government) The bill doesn't go far enough. The manual should include a voters pamphlet, a video voters guide, and should fix ballot placement.  In the 1997 City of Tacoma elections, the county auditor did not print candidate statements.

(Appropriations) None.

Testified:  (State Government) (In favor) Representative Dave Schmidt, prime sponsor; and Bob Terwilliger and Suzanne Sinclair, Washington State Auditors Association.

(State Government) (Opposed) Will Baker, citizen.

(Appropriations) (In support with concerns) Karen Flynn, Kitsap County Auditor.