H-0178.1

HOUSE BILL 1292

ByRepresentatives Walsh, Dolan, Gregerson, and Goehner

AN ACT Relating to deadlines for receipt of voter registrations by election officials; amending RCW 29A.08.020, 29A.08.140, 29A.08.330, and 29A.08.359; reenacting and amending RCW 29A.08.110 and 29A.08.410; 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:

"Election official" when pertaining to voter registration includes any staff member of the office of the secretary of state or a staff member of the county auditor's office.

Sec. 2. RCW 29A.08.020 and 2013 c 11 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "By mail" means delivery of a completed original voter registration application by mail to a county auditor or the office of the secretary of state.

(2) For voter registration applicants, (("date of mailing" means the date of the postal cancellation on the voter registration application. This date will also be used as the date of application for the purpose of))the date the voter registration application is received by an election official will be used as the registration date for the purpose of registering and meeting the registration cutoff deadline. ((If the postal cancellation date is illegible then the date of receipt by the elections official is considered the date of application. If an application is received by a county auditor or the office of the secretary of state by the close of business on the fifth day after the cutoff date for voter registration and the postal cancellation date is illegible, the application will be considered to have arrived by the cutoff date for voter registration.))

Sec. 3. RCW 29A.08.140 and 2018 c 112 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In order to vote in any primary, special election, or general election, a person who is not registered to vote in Washington must:

(a) Submit a registration application that is received by an election official no later than eight days before the day of the primary, special election, or general election. For purposes of this subsection (1)(a), "received" means being physically received by an election official by the close of business or, for applications received online or electronically, by midnight, of the required deadline; or

(b) Register in person at the county auditor's office, the division of elections if in a separate city from the county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor in his or her county of residence no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary, special election, or general election.

(2) In order to change a residence address for voting in any primary, special election, or general election, a person who is already registered to vote in Washington may update his or her registration by:

(b) Appearing in person, at the county auditor's office, the division of elections if in a separate city from the county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor in his or her county of residence, no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary, special election, or general election to be in effect for that primary, special election, or general election.

(c) A registered voter who fails to ((transfer))update his or her residential address by this deadline may vote according to his or her previous registration address.

(3) To register or update a voting address in person at the county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor, a person must appear in person at the county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor in the county in which the person resides at a time when the facility is open and complete the voter registration application by providing the information required by RCW 29A.08.010.

Sec. 4. RCW 29A.08.110 and 2018 c 112 s 2, 2018 c 110 s 101, and 2018 c 109 s 4 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) For persons registering under RCW 29A.08.120, 29A.08.123, 29A.08.170, 29A.08.330, ((and)) 29A.08.340, 29A.08.362, and 29A.08.365, an application is considered complete only if it contains the information required by RCW 29A.08.010. The applicant is considered to be registered to vote as of the original date of ((mailing, date of delivery))receipt, or when the person will be at least eighteen years old by the next election, whichever is applicable. As soon as practicable, the auditor shall record the appropriate precinct identification, taxing district identification, and date of registration on the voter's record in the state voter registration list. The secretary of state shall, pursuant to RCW 29A.04.611, establish procedures to enable new or updated voter registrations to be recorded on an expedited basis. Any mailing address provided shall be used only for mail delivery purposes, and not for precinct assignment or residency purposes. Within sixty days after the receipt of an application or transfer, the auditor shall send to the applicant, by first-class nonforwardable mail, an acknowledgment notice identifying the registrant's precinct and containing such other information as may be required by the secretary of state. The postal service shall be instructed not to forward a voter registration card to any other address and to return to the auditor any card which is not deliverable.

(2) If an application is not complete, the auditor shall promptly mail a verification notice to the applicant. The verification notice shall require the applicant to provide the missing information. If the applicant provides the required information within forty-five days, the applicant shall be registered to vote as of the original date of application. The applicant shall not be placed on the official list of registered voters until the application is complete.

(3) Once a future voter is no longer in pending status, as described in RCW 29A.08.615, his or her application to sign up to register to vote is no longer pending and is subject to this section.

Sec. 5. RCW 29A.08.330 and 2018 c 109 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The secretary of state shall prescribe the method of voter registration for each designated agency. The agency shall use either the state voter registration by mail form with a separate declination form for the applicant to indicate that he or she declines to register at this time, or the agency may use a separate form approved for use by the secretary of state.

(2) The person providing service at the agency shall offer voter registration services to every client whenever he or she applies for service or assistance and with each renewal, recertification, or change of address. The person providing service shall give the applicant the same level of assistance with the voter registration application as is offered to fill out the agency's forms and documents, including information about age and citizenship requirements for voter registration.

(3) The person providing service at the agency shall determine if the prospective applicant wants to register to vote or update his or her voter registration by asking the following question:

"Do you want to register or sign up to vote or update your voter registration?"

If the applicant chooses to register, sign up, or update a registration, the service agent shall ask the following:

(a) "Are you a United States citizen?"

(b) "Are you at least eighteen years old or are you at least sixteen years old and will you vote only after you turn eighteen?"

If the applicant answers in the affirmative to both questions, the agent shall then provide the applicant with a voter registration form and instructions and shall record that the applicant has requested to sign up to vote, register to vote, or update a voter registration. If the applicant answers in the negative to either question, the agent shall not provide the applicant with a voter registration application.

(4) If an agency uses a computerized application process, it may, in consultation with the secretary of state, develop methods to capture simultaneously the information required for voter registration during a person's computerized application process.

(5) Each designated agency shall transmit the applications to the secretary of state or appropriate county auditor within three business days and must be received by the election official by the required voter registration deadline.

(6) Information that is otherwise disclosable under this chapter cannot be disclosed on the future voter until the person reaches eighteen years of age, except for the purpose of processing and delivering ballots.

Sec. 6. RCW 29A.08.410 and 2018 c 112 s 3 and 2018 c 110 s 204 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

A registered voter who changes his or her residence from one address to another within the same county may transfer his or her registration to the new address in one of the following ways:

(1) Sending the county auditor a request stating both the voter's present address and the address from which the voter was last registered received by an election official eight days prior to a primary or election;

(2) Appearing in person before the county auditor, or at a voting center or other location designated by the county auditor, and making such a request up until 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or election;

(3) Telephoning or emailing the county auditor to transfer the registration by eight days prior to a primary or election;

(4) Submitting a voter registration application received by an election official by eight days prior to a primary or election;

(5) Submitting information to the department of licensing and received by an election official by eight days prior to a primary or election;

(6) Submitting information to the health benefit exchange and received by an election official by eight days prior to a primary or election; or

(7) Submitting information to an agency designated under RCW 29A.08.365 and received by an election official by eight days prior to a primary or election once automatic voter registration is implemented at the agency.

Sec. 7. RCW 29A.08.359 and 2018 c 110 s 104 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) For persons age eighteen years and older registering under RCW 29A.08.355, an application is considered complete only if it contains the information required by RCW 29A.08.010 and other information as required by the secretary of state. The applicant is considered to be registered to vote as of the original date of issuance or renewal or date of change of address of an enhanced driver's license or identicard issued under RCW 46.20.202 or change of address for an existing enhanced driver's license or identicard pursuant to RCW 46.20.205. The information must be transmitted in an expedited manner and must be received by an election official by the required voter registration deadline. The auditor shall record the appropriate precinct identification, taxing district identification, and date of registration on the voter's record in the state voter registration list. Any mailing address provided shall be used only for mail delivery purposes, and not for precinct assignment or residency purposes. Within sixty days after the receipt of an application or transfer, the auditor shall send to the applicant, by first-class nonforwardable mail, an acknowledgment notice identifying the registrant's precinct and containing such other information as may be required by the secretary of state. The United States postal service shall be instructed not to forward a voter registration card to any other address and to return to the auditor any card which is not deliverable.

(b) An auditor may use other means to communicate with potential and registered voters such as, but not limited to, email, phone, or text messaging. The alternate form of communication must not be in lieu of the first-class mail requirements. The auditor shall act in compliance with all voter notification processes established in federal law.

(2) If an application is not complete, the auditor shall promptly mail a verification notice to the applicant. The verification notice must require the applicant to provide the missing information. If the applicant provides the required information within forty-five days, the applicant must be registered to vote. The applicant must not be placed on the official list of registered voters until the application is complete.

(3) If the prospective registration applicant declines to register to vote or the information provided by the department of licensing does not indicate citizenship, the information must not be included on the list of registered voters.

(4) The department of licensing is prohibited from sharing data files used by the secretary of state to certify voters registered through the automated process outlined in RCW 29A.08.355 with any federal agency, or state agency other than the secretary of state. Personal information supplied for the purposes of obtaining a driver's license or identicard is exempt from public inspection pursuant to RCW 42.56.230.

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