BILL REQ. #:  S-4650.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/24/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to county canvassing board membership; and amending RCW 29A.60.140.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 29A.60.140 and 2005 c 274 s 250 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Members of the county canvassing board are the county auditor, who is the chair, the county prosecuting attorney, and the chair of the county legislative body. If a member of the board is not available to carry out the duties of the board, then the auditor may designate a deputy auditor, the prosecutor may designate a deputy prosecuting attorney, and the chair of the county legislative body may designate another member of the county legislative body or, in a county with a population over one million, an employee of the legislative body who reports directly to the chair. An "employee of the legislative body" means an individual who serves in any of the following positions: Chief of staff; legal counsel; clerk of the council; policy staff director; and any successor positions to these positions should these original positions be changed. Any such designation may be made on an election-by-election basis or may be on a permanent basis until revoked by the designating authority. Any such designation must be in writing, and if for a specific election, must be filed with the county auditor not later than the day before the first day duties are to be undertaken by the canvassing board. If the designation is permanent until revoked by the designating authority, then the designation must be on file in the county auditor's office no later than the day before the first day the designee is to undertake the duties of the canvassing board. Members of the county canvassing board designated by the county auditor, county prosecuting attorney, or chair of the county legislative body shall complete training as provided in RCW 29A.04.540 and shall take an oath of office similar to that taken by county auditors and deputy auditors in the performance of their duties.
     (2) The county canvassing board may adopt rules that delegate in writing to the county auditor or the county auditor's staff the performance of any task assigned by law to the canvassing board.
     (3) The county canvassing board may not delegate the responsibility of certifying the returns of a primary or election, of determining the validity of challenged ballots, or of determining the validity of provisional ballots referred to the board by the county auditor.
     (4) The county canvassing board shall adopt administrative rules to facilitate and govern the canvassing process in that jurisdiction.
     (5) Meetings of the county canvassing board are public meetings under chapter 42.30 RCW. All rules adopted by the county canvassing board must be adopted in a public meeting under chapter 42.30 RCW, and once adopted must be available to the public to review and copy under chapter 42.56 RCW.