SB 5779 — Concerning ballot drop box placement requirements.

S-1218.1SENATEENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5779State of Washington66th Legislature2019 Regular SessionBySenators Kuderer, Hunt, Takko, Dhingra, and NguyenRead first time 01/31/19.Referred to Committee on State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections.AN ACT Relating to ballot drop box placement requirements;

and amending RCW 29A.40.160.BE29A.40.160 ITand ENACTED29A.40.---; BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:Sec.

and providing a contingent effective date.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:Sec.

The county auditor has discretion to establish which services will be provided at the additional locations, and which days and hours the locations will be open, except that the county auditor must establish a minimum of one ballot drop box per ((fifteen))twenty thousand registered voters in the county ((and a minimum of one ballot drop box in each city, town, and census-designated place in the county with a post office)).---office)).Sec. END ---

2.

RCW 29A.40.--- and 2019 c ...

(Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No.

5079) s 5 are each amended to read as follows:(1) The county auditor must prevent overflow of each ballot drop box to allow a voter to deposit his or her ballot securely.

Ballots must be removed from a ballot drop box by at least two people, with a record kept of the date and time ballots were removed, and the names of people removing them.

Ballots from drop boxes must be returned to the counting center in secured transport containers.

A copy of the record must be placed in the container, and one copy must be transported with the ballots to the counting center, where the seal number must be verified by the county auditor or a designated representative.

All ballot drop boxes must be secured at 8:00 p.m.

on the day of the primary, special election, or general election.(2) The county auditor must establish a minimum of one ballot drop box per ((fifteen))twenty thousand registered voters in the county ((and a minimum of one ballot drop box in each city, town, and census-designated place in the county with a post office)).(3) At the request of a federally recognized Indian tribe with a reservation in the county, the county auditor must establish at least one ballot drop box on the Indian reservation on a site selected by the tribe ((that is accessible to the county auditor by a public road.(4) A federally recognized Indian tribe may designate at least one building as a ballot pickup and collection location at no cost to the tribe.

The designated building must be accessible to the county auditor by a public road.

The county auditor of the county in which the building is located must collect ballots from that location in compliance with the procedures in subsection (1) of this section)).NEW SECTION.  Sec.

3.

(1) Section 1 of this act takes effect only if Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No.

5079 is not enacted by June 30, 2019.(2) Section 2 of this act takes effect only if Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No.

5079 is enacted by June 30, 2019.--- END ---