HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No.  HB 1950

Facilitating electronic transfer of voter registration information.

Brief Title                              Hearing Date: 2/26/99

Reps. McMorris and Miloscia                Staff: Steve Lundin

Sponsor(s)                          State Government Committee

                                              Phone:  786-7127

BACKGROUND:

Several different procedures exist to maintain voter registration lists.

Each county auditor must use a general maintenance program to remove names from the list using change-of-address information, mailing direct, return if undeliverable, notices to each registered voter, and other methods.

Names are removed from the inactive voter list if, within two years after being notified of being placed on the inactive voter list, the voter fails to vote, fails to notify the auditor of a change of address, fails to confirm that he or she still lives at the registered address, or fails to sign a petition that includes signatures verified by the auditor.

Deceased registered voters are removed from voter registration lists using information obtained from newspaper obituaries, signed statements by registered voters that other registered voters are deceased, and comparing names on voter registration lists with the names of persons who have died that are supplied by registrars of vital statistics from the issuance of death certificates.

SUMMARY:

The Secretary of State is required to create a standard electronic file format for voter registration information to be transferred between counties and the Secretary of State.  Every county is required to convert its voter registration data into this format by January 1, 2000, and bill its reasonable programing costs to the Office of the Secretary of State by June 1, 2000.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

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