2019 Regular Session

ByRepresentative Hudgins

Read first time 02/04/19.Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.

AN ACT Relating to identifying and recognizing best practices through an audit of statewide election reconciliation reports; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that national data show that the state has had one of the worst ballot rejection rates in the nation for at least ten years. The legislature finds that election data and analysis is key to understanding trends and areas of concern regarding voter registration, voter turnout, and ballot counting, and to improving the state's administration of elections. Legislation enacted in 2017, chapter 300, Laws of 2017, requires the secretary of state to prepare a statewide reconciliation report based on county election data. The report must compare the county data and also provide an analysis of the data, to include national statistics to the extent available. To assure the statewide reconciliation report is providing information helpful to the understanding of election administration, the legislature intends to direct the state auditor to audit the statewide reconciliation reports.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The state auditor shall audit the statewide reconciliation reports prepared by the secretary of state under RCW 29A.60.235(3) to examine and make recommendations regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of the reports in developing an enhanced understanding of election administration and policy. The audit must include:

(a) A comparison of the secretary of state's practices with the requirements of the law;

(b) Identification of any programs and services that can be enhanced;

(c) Verification of the reliability and validity of performance data, self-assessments, and performance measurement systems relevant to the statewide reconciliation report;

(d) Identification of best practices in analyzing election data; and

(e) Recommendations for any statutory or regulatory changes to allow the secretary of state to more effectively analyze the data.

(2) The state auditor shall submit a preliminary report to the secretary of state no later than October 15, 2020, and the secretary of state shall submit any comments to the state auditor no later than November 15, 2020. By December 1, 2020, the state auditor shall submit the final report to the secretary of state and the appropriate committees of the legislature and make the report available on its web site.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act expires January 1, 2021.