BILL REQ. #:  H-0456.1 

Read first time 01/16/13.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to processing ballots; and amending RCW 29A.60.160.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 29A.60.160 and 2011 c 10 s 53 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The county auditor, as delegated by the county canvassing board, shall process ballots and canvass the votes cast at that primary or election on a daily basis in counties with a population of seventy-five thousand or more, or at least every third day for counties with a population of less than seventy-five thousand, if the county auditor is in possession of more than five hundred ballots that have yet to be canvassed.
     (2) On the day of the primary or general election, ballots must be processed and counted until midnight or until all ballots received up to and on that day have been processed and counted, whichever occurs first.
     (3) Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are not counted for purposes of this section.
     (((3))) (4) In order to protect the secrecy of a ballot, the county auditor may use discretion to decide when to process absentee ballots and canvass the votes.
     (((4))) (5) Tabulation results must be made available to the public immediately upon completion of the canvass.