BILL REQ. #:  S-0432.2 

Read first time 02/01/2005.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to county auditors; amending RCW 29A.04.216 and 36.16.030; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The uniform application of election laws, rules, and procedures is of the paramount importance to the citizens of this state. It is the intent of the legislature to make the position of county auditor, and of the chief elections official, however named, in all counties an elective office. This act therefore applies to all counties, including without limitation counties operating under a home rule charter.

Sec. 2   RCW 29A.04.216 and 2004 c 271 s 104 are each amended to read as follows:
     The county auditor, as chief elections officer, of each county shall be ex officio the supervisor of all primaries and elections, general or special, and it shall be the county auditor's duty to provide places for holding such primaries and elections; to appoint the precinct election officers and to provide for their compensation; to provide the supplies and materials necessary for the conduct of elections to the precinct election officers; and to publish and post notices of calling such primaries and elections in the manner provided by law. The notice of a primary held in an even-numbered year must indicate that the office of precinct committee officer will be on the ballot. The auditor shall also apportion to each city, town, or district, and to the state of Washington in the odd-numbered year, its share of the expense of such primaries and elections. This section does not apply to general or special elections for any city, town, or district that is not subject to RCW 29A.04.321 and 29A.04.330, but all such elections must be held and conducted at the time, in the manner, and by the officials (with such notice, requirements for filing for office, and certifications by local officers) as provided and required by the laws governing such elections.

Sec. 3   RCW 36.16.030 and 1996 c 108 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Except as provided elsewhere in this section, in every county there shall be elected from among the qualified voters of the county a county assessor, a county auditor, a county clerk, a county coroner, three county commissioners, a county prosecuting attorney, a county sheriff and a county treasurer, except that in each county with a population of less than forty thousand no coroner shall be elected and the prosecuting attorney shall be ex officio coroner. Whenever the population of a county increases to forty thousand or more, the prosecuting attorney shall continue as ex officio coroner until a coroner is elected, at the next general election at which the office of prosecuting attorney normally would be elected, and assumes office as provided in RCW ((29.04.170)) 29A.20.040. In any county where the population has once attained forty thousand people and a current coroner is in office and a subsequent census indicates less than forty thousand people, the county legislative authority may maintain the office of coroner by resolution or ordinance. If the county legislative authority has not passed a resolution or enacted an ordinance to maintain the office of coroner, the elected coroner shall remain in office for the remainder of the term for which he or she was elected, but no coroner shall be elected at the next election at which that office would otherwise be filled and the prosecuting attorney shall be the ex officio coroner. In a county with a population of two hundred fifty thousand or more, the county legislative authority may replace the office of coroner with a medical examiner system and appoint a medical examiner as specified in RCW 36.24.190. A noncharter county may have five county commissioners as provided in RCW 36.32.010 and 36.32.055 through 36.32.0558.