Washington Administrative Code

All funds collected, minus the actual cost of spreading and collecting the assessment, must be promptly transferred to the conservation district. For conservation districts that use the county treasurer as the district treasurer per RCW 89.08.215, assessment funds collected (minu…

The conservation district should make reasonable efforts to inform landowners with lands to be assessed how their assessment was calculated.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040 and [89.08.]070. WSR 07-10-071, § 135-100-230, filed 5/1/07, effective 6/1/07.]

Landowners with lands to be subject to the special assessments may object to the assessment by petitioning the county legislative authority. The petition must be signed by at least twenty percent of the owners of land that would be subject to the special assessments.The petition …

Renewal of a conservation district special assessment must meet the same requirements as for a newly proposed assessment.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040 and [89.08.]070. WSR 07-10-071, § 135-100-250, filed 5/1/07, effective 6/1/07.]

This rule provides direction for the election and replacement of conservation district supervisors in the state of Washington as authorized by RCW 89.08.190 and 89.08.200.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-100, filed 10/19/10, …

"Ballot" or "official ballot" means the final, preprinted ballot containing the name of each declared, nominated candidate found eligible, and at least one line where a voter may enter the name of a write-in candidate."Ballot box" means a container secured against tampering into …

(1) All election forms and documents submitted to the conservation commission must be copies. Original documents must remain in the care and custody of the conservation district.(2) The conservation commission may inspect original documents upon request.[Statutory Authority: RCW …

(1) Unissued or undeliverable ballots must be retained for ten days after the election is certified and the official results announced, and then may be destroyed.(2) All ballots submitted by voters, and all candidate filing records (including candidate information, verification o…

No conservation district supervisors, municipal officers or employees may adopt or state an official position about any candidate that promotes, or is prejudicial to, a candidate.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-150, filed 10…

The election supervisor and polling officer(s) must be able to produce the legal boundary of the conservation district to any person at a physical poll site or at the conservation district office.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-…

In the event more than one ballot is submitted by a voter, the first ballot tallied is the only vote counted. Any subsequent ballots from the same voter will be disqualified and must not be counted.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 13…

(1) Behavior at the physical polling site that disrupts or interferes with the election of conservation district supervisors is prohibited.(2) A conservation district supervisor, polling officer, or election supervisor may require disruptive persons to leave a physical poll-site …

A conservation district must hold an election during January, February, or March in the year a three-year term of an elected supervisor expires.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-200, filed 9/21/20, effective 10/22/2…

(1) Each year the conservation district board shall adopt a resolution establishing the election.(2) The election resolution adopted by the conservation district supervisors must include the following information:(a) The name of the conservation district;(b) For a poll site elect…

(1) Not later than seven days following the conservation district's adoption of the election resolution, due notice containing all election information in the resolution must be published, using the filing deadline as the date for determining compliance with due notice requiremen…

(1) The conservation district supervisors must appoint a person or firm as the election supervisor.(2) The election supervisor:(a) Serves as the primary point of contact between the conservation district and the conservation commission for the conservation district election;(b) O…

(1) The conservation district supervisors must choose the method of the election using physical poll sites, or by remote methods, or by any combination of these methods that assures fair treatment of candidates and voters, provides privacy in voting, and complies with all other p…

Disabled voters must be offered a voting method accessible to them.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-250, filed 10/19/10, effective 11/19/10.]

A candidate for election to the office of conservation district supervisor must be a qualified district elector at the time of filing.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-300, filed 10/19/10, effective 11/19/10.]

RCW 89.08.160 requires two of the three elected supervisors to be landowners or operators of a farm. If the election of a candidate would cause a conservation district board of supervisors to contain fewer than two elected supervisors who are landowners or farm operators, the can…

(1) Information to be submitted to the conservation district by a person seeking to be a candidate for election must include:(a) The name of the conservation district;(b) The person's name, residential address, mailing address (if different), and phone number;(c) Whether the pers…

The filing deadline for candidates is set by the district board and shall be, at a minimum, not less than four weeks before election day.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-330, filed 9/21/20, effective 10/22/20. Stat…

(1) A declared candidate is a qualified district elector who has submitted candidate required information to the conservation district by the filing deadline.(2) A write-in candidate is a person who has not submitted candidate required information to the conservation district by …

(1) The election supervisor must verify the eligibility of each person who submits candidate information required by WAC 135-110-320. The election supervisor may call upon the county auditor or the conservation commission for assistance in verifying eligibility.(2) For a candidat…

(1) If the election supervisor finds ineligible all persons who filed, then only write-in candidates may be elected.(2) The write-in candidate, deemed the unofficial winner, must submit required candidate information to the conservation district within twenty-eight calendar days …

(1) Before election day, a candidate may withdraw his or her candidacy by submitting a written request to the conservation district.(2) A person who withdraws his or her candidacy is not eligible to be elected in the current election.(3) If a person withdraws his or her candidacy…

(1) If the name of a deceased, withdrawn, or ineligible candidate appears on the ballot under this chapter, the votes cast for the candidate shall be counted and entered on the official election returns in the same manner as for the other candidates.(2) If the deceased, withdrawn…

By the first election day, the conservation district must obtain a current list of registered voters from the county auditor for all territory within the conservation district boundary.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-400, fi…

To provide sufficient time for voters to obtain and return ballots to the conservation district, the conservation district must set a reasonable deadline for voters to request a ballot be sent or mailed to them.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.…

If a conservation district provides unrequested ballots to a population that is less than all the eligible voters within the conservation district boundary, the conservation district must not use lists obtained from an individual conservation district supervisor or employee, nor …

(1) To assist voters in the selection of a candidate during voting, a conservation district may publish candidate optional information provided by candidates.(2) If a conservation district chooses to publish information about candidates, it must provide equal opportunity for publ…

A conservation district supervisor, employee, intern or municipal officer may not serve as a polling officer in the conservation district election, unless the person is the election supervisor appointed by the conservation district supervisors. Conservation commission employees c…

(1) During a poll-site election, polling officers must monitor the voting place for compliance with this section, and also serve as guardians of all issued and unissued ballots, under the supervision and direction of the election supervisor.(2) If the election supervisor is prese…

(1) A polling officer must verify a voter is a qualified district elector before issuing a ballot to the voter. If a polling officer cannot verify a voter is a qualified district elector before a ballot is issued, a provisional ballot shall be issued to the voter.(2) At a poll-si…

(1) A conservation district must create a ballot and provide a ballot to each person who requests a ballot to vote in the conservation district election.(2) The official ballot must:(a) List the name of each candidate the conservation district has verified as eligible;(b) List na…

(1) Ballots must be provided to eligible voters upon request, and voters need not provide proof of any special condition to obtain a ballot.(2) Ballots may be returned to the conservation district by mail, by personal delivery, or by electronic means previously approved by the el…

(1) In every conservation district election, the conservation district must create a record of who has submitted a ballot and whether the person was found eligible or ineligible to vote.(2) Each poll list must contain:(a) The name of the conservation district;(b) Whether the poll…

Ballots cast must use a double-envelope paper balloting system, in which:(1) The voter places the completed ballot inside the inner envelope;(2) The inner envelope is sealed to prevent tampering;(3) No personally identifying marks are to be placed on the inner envelope;(4) The in…

Ballots cast are to be received and safeguarded by the election supervisor.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-570, filed 9/21/20, effective 10/22/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR …

Every poll site shall be accessible, as described in RCW 29A.40.160(5).[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-580, filed 9/21/20, effective 10/22/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-2…

(1) On election day, information provided by candidates may not be provided to voters within three hundred feet of the poll site.(2) Candidate required information shall not be publicly posted at the poll site or poll sites.(3) Candidate optional information shall not be publicly…

Every ballot must be verified as being cast by or returned by a qualified district elector before the ballot is counted.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-610, filed 9/21/20, effective 10/22/20. Statutory Authority: …

The conservation district must provide at least two polling officers at each poll site, except the election supervisor or their designee may substitute for one polling officer at one poll site.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122…

(1) Each poll site must have at least one ballot box.(2) Each poll site must be conspicuously identified to voters as the place to vote.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 10-21-084, § 135-110-630, filed 10/19/10, effective 11/19/10.]

(1) The ballot choice made by a voter must not be seen by any other person during the act of voting or the placing of the ballot in the ballot box, except in circumstances necessary to allow a disabled voter to cast their ballot, as set out in WAC 135-110-250.(2) Paper ballots mu…

(1) The polls must be closed at the published time, unless the election supervisor extends the time polls are open, if needed, to accommodate voters.(2) Persons waiting in line at a poll site when the polls are scheduled to be closed must be allowed to check in and vote.(3) Poll …

(1) Only polling officers and the election supervisor may open and count ballots.(2) Ballots must be verified as having been submitted by a qualified district elector before the outer envelope is opened, and upon verification, the outer envelope must be opened and set aside, and …

Ballots cast in a poll-site election shall remain in the custody and control of polling officers until all ballots have been counted and properly tallied.[Statutory Authority: RCW 89.08.040, 89.08.160, 89.08.190, and 89.08.200. WSR 20-19-122, § 135-110-710, filed 9/21/20, effecti…

(1) Polling officers may announce the unofficial results of the election, subject to certification and official announcement by the conservation commission.(2) The unofficial winner is known as the supervisor-elect and may not be seated until after the conservation commission cer…

(1) In the case of two or more candidates receiving the most votes, and each receives an equal number of votes, polling officers must recount the ballots, as directed by the election supervisor.(2) If a tie is verified by the recount, the winner of the election must be determined…