SB 5192 — Extending the time period for voter registration.

S-0819.2SUBSTITUTES-0433.1SENATE SENATE BILL 5192State of Washington65th Legislature2017 Regular SessionBy Senate State Government (originally sponsored by Senators Kuderer, Billig, Cleveland, Palumbo, Hunt, Darneille, Keiser, Carlyle, and Hasegawa)READHasegawaRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/09/17.AN01/16/17. ACT Relating to enacting same day voter registration;

Referred to Committee on State Government.AN ACT Relating to extending the time period for voter registration;

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 ((eight days before)) 5:00 p.m.

or(4) Submitting a voter registration application.Sec. 4.  RCW 29A.40.160 and 2011 c 10 s 43 are each amended to read as follows:(1) Each county auditor shall open a((a)) at least one voting center each primary, special election, and general election.

The((The)) votingVoting centercenters shallshould be openlocated duringin businesspublic hoursbuildings duringincluding, thebut votingnot period,limited whichto, beginslibraries. eighteen days before, and ends at 8:00 p.m.

on the day of, the primary, special election, or general election.(2) ((The)) Each county auditor shall registeropen votersa invoting personcenter at each of the following locations in the county:(a) At the county auditor's office;(b) At the division of elections, if located in a separate city from the county auditor's office;

and(c) ForIn each presidential general election, at a voting center in each city in the county with a population of oneeighty hundred thousand or greater,greater which does not have a voting center as required in (a) or (b) of this subsection.subsection.(2) Each voting center shall be open during business hours during the voting period, which begins eighteen days before, and ends at 8:00 p.m.

A voting center opened pursuant to this subsection is not required to be open on the Sundayday beforeof, the presidentialprimary, election.(3)special Votingelection, centersor shallgeneral beelection.(((2) locatedThe)) in(3) public buildings including, but not limited to, libraries.(4) Each voting center must provide voter registration materials, ballots, provisional ballots, disability access voting units, sample ballots, instructions on how to properly vote the ballot, a ballot drop box, and voters' pamphlets, if a voters' pamphlet has been published.(((3) The)) (5)(4) Each voting center must be accessible to persons with disabilities.

Each state agency and entity of local government shall permit the use of any of its accessible facilities as voting centers when requested by a county auditor.(((4) The)) (6)(5) Each voting center must provide at least one voting unit certified by the secretary of state that provides access to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, enabling them to vote with privacy and independence.(((5))) (7)(6) No person may interfere with a voter attempting to vote in a voting center.

Interfering with a voter attempting to vote is a violation of RCW 29A.84.510.(((6))) (8)(7) Before opening the voting center, the voting equipment shall be inspected to determine if it has been properly prepared for voting.

A log must be made of all device numbers and seal numbers.(((7))) (9)(8) The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification.(a) The signature on the declaration must be compared to the signature on the voter registration record before the ballot may be counted.

Any individual who desires to vote in person but cannot provide identification shall be issued a provisional ballot, which shall be accepted if the signature on the declaration matches the signature on the voter's registration record.(((8))) (10)(9) Provisional ballots must be accompanied by a declaration and security envelope, as required by RCW 29A.40.091, and space for the voter's name, date of birth, current and former registered address, reason for the provisional ballot, and disposition of the provisional ballot.

The voter must be provided information on how to ascertain whether the provisional ballot was counted and, if applicable, the reason why the vote was not counted.(((9))) (11)(10) Any voter may take printed or written material into the voting device to assist in casting his or her vote.

The voter shall not use this material to electioneer and shall remove it when he or she leaves the voting center.(((10))) (12)(11) If any voter states that he or she is unable to cast his or her votes due to a disability, the voter may designate a person of his or her choice, or two election officers, to enter the voting booth and record the votes as he or she directs.(((11))) (13)(12) No voter is entitled to vote more than once at a primary, special election, or general election.

If a voter incorrectly marks a ballot, he or she may be issued a replacement ballot.(((12))) (14)(13) A voter who has already returned a ballot but requests to vote at a voting center shall be issued a provisional ballot.

The canvassing board shall not count the provisional ballot if it finds that the voter has also voted a regular ballot in that primary, special election, or general election.(((13))) (15)(14) The county auditor must prevent overflow of each ballot drop box to allow a voter to deposit his or her ballot securely.

on the day of the primary, special election, or general election.(((14))) (16)(15) Any voter who is inside or in line at the voting center at 8:00 p.m.

on the day of the primary, special election, or general election must be allowed to vote.(((15))) (17)(16) For each primary, special election, and general election, the county auditor may provide election services at locations in addition to ((the)) voting centers.