SSB 5499 -
By Senator Roach
PULLED 03/08/2005
On page 5, after line 36, insert the following:
"Sec. 3 RCW 29A.08.125 and 2003 c 111 s 209 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Each county auditor shall maintain a computer file containing
the records of all registered voters within the county. The auditor
may provide for the establishment and maintenance of such files by
private contract or through interlocal agreement as provided by chapter
39.34 RCW. The computer file must include, but not be limited to, each
voter's last name, first name, middle initial, date of birth, residence
address, gender, date of registration, applicable taxing district and
precinct codes, and the last date on which the individual voted.
(2) County election officials shall randomly investigate the record
of all registered voters within the county contained on the official
statewide voter registration list for that county, to make corrections
in the record regarding persons who are deceased or whose residence
differs from that on the official statewide voter registration list.
(3) The county auditor shall subsequently record each consecutive
date upon which the individual has voted and retain at least the last
five such consecutive dates. If the voter has not voted at least five
times since establishing his or her current registration record, only
the available dates will be included.
Sec. 4 RCW 29A.08.125 and 2004 c 267 s 110 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Each county auditor shall maintain a computer file containing
a copy of each record of all registered voters within the county
contained on the official statewide voter registration list for that
county.
(2) County election officials shall randomly investigate the record
of all registered voters within the county contained on the official
statewide voter registration list for that county, to make corrections
in the record regarding persons who are deceased or whose residence
differs from that on the official statewide voter registration list.
(3) The computer file must include, but not be limited to, each
voter's last name, first name, middle initial, date of birth, residence
address, gender, date of registration, applicable taxing district and
precinct codes, and the last date on which the individual voted.
(4) The county auditor shall subsequently record each consecutive
date upon which the individual has voted and retain all such
consecutive dates.
Sec. 5 RCW 29A.08.605 and 2003 c 111 s 236 are each amended to
read as follows:
In addition to the case-by-case maintenance required under RCW
29A.08.620 and 29A.08.630 ((and)), the canceling of registrations under
RCW 29A.08.510, and the random investigation required under RCW
29A.08.125, the county auditor shall establish a general program of
voter registration list maintenance. This program must be a thorough
review that is applied uniformly throughout the county and must be
nondiscriminatory in its application. Any program established must be
completed at least once every two years and not later than ninety days
before the date of a primary or general election for federal office.
The county may fulfill its obligations under this section in one of the
following ways:
(1) The county auditor may enter into one or more contracts with
the United States postal service, or its licensee, which permit the
auditor to use postal service change-of-address information. If the
auditor receives change of address information from the United States
postal service that indicates that a voter has changed his or her
residence address within the county, the auditor shall transfer the
registration of that voter and send a confirmation notice informing the
voter of the transfer to the new address. If the auditor receives
postal change of address information indicating that the voter has
moved out of the county, the auditor shall send a confirmation notice
to the voter and advise the voter of the need to reregister in the new
county. The auditor shall place the voter's registration on inactive
status;
(2) A direct, nonforwardable, nonprofit or first-class mailing to
every registered voter within the county bearing the postal endorsement
"Return Service Requested." If address correction information for a
voter is received by the county auditor after this mailing, the auditor
shall place that voter on inactive status and shall send to the voter
a confirmation notice;
(3) Any other method approved by the secretary of state.
Sec. 6 RCW 29A.08.605 and 2004 c 267 s 128 are each amended to
read as follows:
In addition to the case-by-case maintenance required under RCW
29A.08.620 and 29A.08.630 ((and)), the canceling of registrations under
RCW 29A.08.510, and the random investigation required under RCW
29A.08.125, the secretary of state and the county auditor shall
cooperatively establish a general program of voter registration list
maintenance. This program must be a thorough review that is applied
uniformly throughout the county and must be nondiscriminatory in its
application. Any program established must be completed at least once
every two years and not later than ninety days before the date of a
primary or general election for federal office. This obligation may be
fulfilled in one of the following ways:
(1) The secretary of state may enter into one or more contracts
with the United States postal service, or its licensee, which permit
the use of postal service change-of-address information. If the change
of address information is received from the United States postal
service that indicates that a voter has changed his or her residence
address within the state, the auditor shall transfer the registration
of that voter and send a confirmation notice informing the voter of the
transfer to the new address;
(2) A direct, nonforwardable, nonprofit or first-class mailing to
every registered voter bearing the postal endorsement "Return Service
Requested." If address correction information for a voter is received
by the county auditor after this mailing, the auditor shall place that
voter on inactive status and shall send to the voter a confirmation
notice;
(3) Any other method approved by the secretary of state.
Sec. 7 RCW 29A.08.651 and 2004 c 267 s 101 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The office of the secretary of state shall create and maintain
a statewide voter registration data base. This data base must be a
single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized
statewide voter registration list defined, maintained, and administered
at the state level that contains the name and registration information
of every legally registered voter in the state and assigns a unique
identifier to each legally registered voter in the state.
(2) The computerized list must serve as the single system for
storing and maintaining the official list of registered voters
throughout the state.
(3) The computerized list must contain the name and registration
information of every legally registered voter in the state.
(4) Under the computerized list, a unique identifier is assigned to
each legally registered voter in the state.
(5) The computerized list must be coordinated with other agency
data bases within the state, including but not limited to the
department of corrections, the department of licensing, and the
department of health.
(6) Any election officer in the state, including any local election
officer, may obtain immediate electronic access to the information
contained in the computerized list.
(7) All voter registration information obtained by any local
election officer in the state must be electronically entered into the
computerized list on an expedited basis at the time the information is
provided to the local officer.
(8) The chief state election officer shall provide support, as may
be required, so that local election officers are able to enter
information as described in subsection (3) of this section.
(9) The computerized list serves as the official voter registration
list for the conduct of all elections.
(10) The secretary of state has data authority on all voter
registration data.
(11) The voter registration data base must be designed to
accomplish at a minimum, the following:
(a) Comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-252);
(b) Identify duplicate voter registrations;
(c) Identify suspected duplicate voters;
(d) Screen against the department of corrections data base to aid
in the cancellation of voter registration of felons;
(e) Provide up-to-date signatures of voters for the purposes of
initiative signature checking;
(f) Provide current and accurate voter registration information
using information obtained under RCW 29A.08.125;
(g) Provide for a comparison between the voter registration data
base and the department of licensing change of address data base;
(((g))) (h) Provide online access for county auditors with the goal
of real time duplicate checking and update capabilities; and
(((h))) (i) Provide for the cancellation of voter registration for
persons who have moved to other states and surrendered their Washington
state drivers' licenses."
Renumber the sections following consecutively and correct internal references accordingly.
SSB 5499 -
By Senator Roach
PULLED 03/08/2005
On page 18, after line 21, insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 23 Sections 3 and 5 of this act expire
January 1, 2006.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 24 Sections 4, 6, and 7 of this act take
effect January 1, 2006."
SSB 5499 -
By Senator Roach
PULLED 03/08/2005
In line 2 of the title, after "29A.04.611," insert "29A.08.125, 29A.08.125, 29A.08.605, 29A.08.605, 29A.08.651,"
In line 6 of the title, after "RCW;" strike "and" and in line 7 of the title, after "penalties" insert "; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date"
EFFECT: Requires that county elections officials randomly investigate the registered voter list and make corrections.