SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1093

As of April 3, 2003

Title: An act relating to the order of candidates on ballots.

Brief Description: Updating primary ballot rotation law.

Sponsors: House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Hatfield, Hankins, Morris and Blake).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 4/4/03.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Staff: Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background: For the primary election, the order in which candidates' names appear on the ballot is determined by lot. However, for ballots used at a polling place at a primary election, candidates' names for partisan federal, state, and county offices, for judicial offices, and for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are also rotated within each office. Rotation is accomplished by taking the first name on the list determined by lot, moving it to the last position, and moving each of the other names up one position. Rotation occurs as many times as there are candidates for that office. Consequently, there must be as many different sets of ballots as there are candidates in the rotated office with the most candidates.

For the general election, the order in which nonpartisan candidates' names appear on the ballot is determined by lot. The order in which partisan candidates' names appear on the ballot is determined by the most popular party in Washington in the last presidential election. Candidates in the party that received the most votes from Washington voters in the last presidential election appear first for each partisan race on the general election ballot.

Summary of Bill: Candidates' names for partisan federal, state, and county offices, for judicial offices, and for the OSPI are no longer rotated. However, the order of these candidates continues to be determined by lot.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

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