S-4249.1

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5650

BySenate State Government & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators J. Wilson, Fortunato, and Wagoner)

AN ACT Relating to providing voters with information regarding elections law violations within the voters' pamphlet; and amending RCW 29A.32.031.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 29A.32.031 and 2020 c 208 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

The voters' pamphlet published or distributed under RCW 29A.32.010 must contain:

(1) Information about each measure for an advisory vote of the people and each ballot measure initiated by or referred to the voters for their approval or rejection as required by RCW 29A.32.070;

(2) In even-numbered years, statements, if submitted, from candidates for the office of president and vice president of the United States, United States senator, United States representative, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner, state senator, state representative, justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of appeals, or judge of the superior court. Candidates may also submit campaign contact information and a photograph not more than five years old in a format that the secretary of state determines to be suitable for reproduction in the voters' pamphlet;

(3) In odd-numbered years, if any office voted upon statewide appears on the ballot due to a vacancy, then statements and photographs for candidates for any vacant office listed in subsection (2) of this section must appear;

(4) Contact information for the public disclosure commission established under RCW 42.17A.100, including the following statement: "For a list of the people and organizations that donated to state and local candidates and ballot measure campaigns, visit www.pdc.wa.gov." The statement must be placed in a prominent position, such as on the cover or on the first two pages of the voters' pamphlet. The secretary of state may substitute such language as is necessary for accuracy and clarity and consistent with the intent of this section;

(5) Contact information for major political parties;

(6) A brief statement explaining the deletion and addition of language for proposed measures under RCW 29A.32.080;

(7) A list of all student engagement hubs as designated under RCW 29A.40.180; ((and))

(8) On the inside cover, a warning that clearly: (a) Informs readers that it is illegal to vote if he or she is not a United States citizen; it is illegal to vote if he or she has been convicted of a felony and has not had his or her voting rights restored; and it is illegal to cast a ballot or sign a ballot declaration on behalf of another voter; (b) contains the list of voter violations punishable by felony under RCW 29A.84.130; and (c) provides contact information for the secretary of state's office in order to report suspected incidences of voter fraud and other election law violations; and

(9) Any additional information pertaining to elections as may be required by law or in the judgment of the secretary of state is deemed informative to the voters.

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