BILL REQ. #:  S-4885.1 

Read first time 02/03/2006.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to bilingual voting assistance; reenacting and amending RCW 29A.44.240; and adding a new section to chapter 29A.04 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 29A.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The county auditor shall provide bilingual voting registration forms, ballots, and all voting materials for any language group that meets the following criteria:
     (a)(i) More than three and three-fourths percent of the voting-age citizens in a county belong to a single language minority community and have limited English abilities; or
     (ii) More than seven thousand five hundred voting-age citizens in a county belong to a single language community and have limited English abilities; and
     (b) The illiteracy rate of the citizens in the language group is higher than the national illiteracy rate.
     (2) If more than three percent of the voting-age population in a given county speak a common native language other than English, the county must recruit staff members and poll workers who are fluent in that native language and in English to assist with elections.
     (3) The percentage requirements of this section must be based on information contained in the most recent United States census.

Sec. 2   RCW 29A.44.240 and 2003 c 111 s 1123 and 2003 c 53 s 180 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Voting shall be secret except to the extent necessary to assist sensory or physically disabled voters, or voters who require translation.
     (2) If any voter declares in the presence of the election officers that because of sensory or physical disability or a language barrier he or she is unable to register or record his or her vote, he or she may designate a person of his or her choice or two election officers from opposite political parties to enter the voting machine booth with him or her and record his or her vote as he or she directs. If a voter cannot speak English, he or she may use an interpreter to communicate with election officials.
     (3) A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.