HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1348

BYRepresentatives Haugen, S. Wilson, Silver, Amondson, Ferguson, May, Betrozoff, Pruitt, Ballard, Brough, Miller and Cooper

Providing additional qualifications for precinct election officers.

House Committe on Constitution, Elections & Ethics

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (7)

      Signed by Representatives Fisher, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; Amondson, Barnes, R. King, Leonard and Sanders.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 8, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Before each primary or election, the county auditor must appoint precinct election officers.  The persons appointed must be from lists of persons submitted to the auditor by the chairs of the county central committees of the major political parties.

SUMMARY:

No person may serve as a precinct election officer for a precinct during a primary or election if the person is a candidate for an office, other than precinct committee officer, for which voters in the precinct are entitled to cast ballots.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Haugen; Hal Booth; Jane Hague, King County Records Division; Dean Williams, Snohomish County Auditor.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    A recent election involved a write-in campaign against an incumbent special district commissioner.  The commissioner served as a precinct election officer and voters who desired to cast write-in ballots against the commissioner had to request write-in ballot information from that commissioner.  Such a conflict of roles should not be allowed.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.