Passed by the House February 8, 2006 Yeas 98   FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 3, 2006 Yeas 48   BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 3041 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. RICHARD NAFZIGER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
Approved March 17, 2006. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | March 17, 2006 - 11:02 a.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/18/2006. Referred to Committee on State Government Operations & Accountability.
AN ACT Relating to voter registration; and amending RCW 29A.08.140 and 29A.08.145.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 29A.08.140 and 2004 c 267 s 112 are each amended to
read as follows:
The registration files of all precincts shall be closed against
((original registration or)) transfers for thirty days immediately
preceding every primary, special election, and general election to be
held in such precincts.
The county auditor shall give notice of the closing of the precinct
files for ((original registration and)) transfer and notice of the
special registration and voting procedure provided by RCW 29A.08.145 by
one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at
least five days before the closing of the precinct files.
No person may vote at any primary, special election, or general
election in a precinct polling place unless he or she has registered to
vote at least thirty days before that primary or election and appears
on the official statewide voter registration list. If a person,
otherwise qualified to vote in the state, county, and precinct in which
he or she applies for registration, does not register at least thirty
days before any primary, special election, or general election, he or
she may register and vote by absentee ballot for that primary or
election under RCW 29A.08.145.
Sec. 2 RCW 29A.08.145 and 2005 c 246 s 10 are each amended to
read as follows:
This section establishes a special procedure which an elector not
registered in the state may use to register to vote ((or transfer a
voter registration by changing his or her address)) during the period
beginning after the closing of registration for voting at the polls
under RCW 29A.08.140 and ending on the fifteenth day before a primary,
special election, or general election. A qualified elector in the
state may register to vote ((or change his or her registration
address)) in person in the office of the county auditor of the county
in which the applicant resides, or at a voter registration location
specifically designated for this purpose by the county auditor or
secretary of state, and apply for an absentee ballot for that primary
or election. The auditor or registration assistant shall register that
individual in the manner provided in this chapter. The application for
an absentee ballot executed by the newly registered ((or transferred))
voter for the primary or election that follows the execution of the
registration shall be promptly transmitted to the auditor with the
completed voter registration form.