Title 29A — Title 29A ELECTIONS

(1) A county auditor who suspects a person of fraudulent voter registration, vote tampering, or irregularities in voting shall transmit his or her suspicions and observations without delay to the canvassing board.(2) The county auditor shall make a good faith effort to contact th…

Every officer who willfully violates RCW 29A.56.110 through 29A.56.270, for the violation of which no penalty is prescribed in this title or who willfully fails to comply with the provisions of RCW 29A.56.110 through 29A.56.270 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.[ 2011 c 10 s 67; 2…

A person who willfully violates any provision of this title regarding the conduct of mail ballot primaries or elections is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2003 c 111 s 2103; 2001 c 241 s 21. Formerly RCW 29.38.070.]

A person who removes or defaces lawfully placed political advertising including yard signs or billboards without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable to the same extent as a misdemeanor that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. The defacement or removal of each item …

(1) A person who knowingly destroys, alters, defaces, conceals, or discards a completed voter registration form, signed ballot declaration, or voted ballot is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. This section does not apply to (a) the voter who completed the form or declaration, or (b)…

(1) The attorney general may bring a civil action for such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary to carry out the provisions of RCW 29A.40.170 (3) and (4) in the superior court of the county in which the violation is alleged to have occurred.(2) A person or federally r…

If any county auditor or registration assistant, including government agency employees providing voter registration services under the requirements of state law or the national voter registration act of 1993:(1) Willfully neglects or refuses to perform any duty required by law in…

An election officer or a person who intentionally disenfranchises an eligible citizen or discriminates against a person eligible to vote by denying voter registration is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2003 c 111 s 2106. Prior: 2001 c 41 s 2. Formerly RCW…

Any person who:(1) Knowingly provides false information on an application for voter registration under any provision of this title;(2) Knowingly makes or attests to a false declaration as to his or her qualifications as a voter;(3) Knowingly causes or permits himself or herself t…

A person who knows that he or she does not possess the legal qualifications of a voter and who registers to vote is guilty of a class C felony. This section does not apply to persons age sixteen or seventeen signing up to register to vote as authorized under RCW 29A.08.170 or 29A…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5892.SL) ***Any state or local election officer, or a designee, who has access to any county or statewide voter registration database who knowingly uses or alters information in the database inconsistent with the performance of his or her duties is gui…

Every officer who willfully violates any of the provisions of chapter 29A.72 RCW or RCW 29A.32.010 through 29A.32.121, for the violation of which no penalty is herein prescribed, or who willfully fails to comply with the provisions of chapter 29A.72 RCW or RCW 29A.32.010 through …

Every person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, who:(1) For any consideration, compensation, gratuity, reward, or thing of value or promise thereof, signs or declines to sign any recall petition; or(2) Advertises in any newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication, or in an…

(1) Every person who signs an initiative or referendum petition with any other than his or her true name is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.(2) Every person who knowingly signs more than one petition for the same initiative or referendum measure or who s…

(1) Every person who signs a recall petition with any other than his or her true name is guilty of a class B felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW.(2) Every person who knowingly (a) signs more than one petition for the same recall, (b) signs a recall petition when he o…

Every person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:(1) For any consideration or gratuity or promise thereof, signs or declines to sign any initiative or referendum petition; or(2) Provides or receives consideration for soliciting or procuring signatures on an initiative or referen…

The following apply to persons signing filing fee petitions prescribed by RCW 29A.24.101:(1) A person who signs a petition with any other than his or her name shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.(2) A person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if the person knowingly: Signs more than o…

Any person who with intent to mislead or confuse the electors conspires with another person who has a surname similar to an incumbent seeking reelection to the same office, or to an opponent for the same office whose political reputation has been well established, by persuading s…

The legislature finds that paying a worker, whose task it is to secure the signatures of voters on initiative or referendum petitions, on the basis of the number of signatures the worker secures on the petitions encourages the introduction of fraud in the signature gathering proc…

Every person who:(1) Knowingly provides false information on his or her declaration of candidacy or petition of nomination; or(2) Conceals or fraudulently defaces or destroys a certificate that has been filed with an elections officer under chapter 29A.20 RCW or a declaration of …

A person is guilty of a class B felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW who files a declaration of candidacy for any public office of:(1) A nonexistent or fictitious person; or(2) The name of any person not his or her true name; or(3) A name similar to that of an incumbe…

Any person who is retained or employed by any officer authorized by the laws of this state to procure the printing of any official ballot or who is engaged in printing official ballots is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if the person knowingly:(1) Appropriates any official ballot t…

(1) It is a gross misdemeanor for a person to examine, or assist another to examine, any voter record, ballot, or any other state or local government official election material if the person, without lawful authority, conducts the examination:(a) For the purpose of identifying th…

(1) During the voting period that begins eighteen days before and ends the day of a special election, general election, or primary, no person may:(a) Within a voting center or student engagement hub or in any public street or room in any public manner within 100 feet measured rad…

Any election officer who does any electioneering at a voting center or ballot drop location during the voting period that begins eighteen days before and ends the day of a special election, general election, or primary is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction must be fined…

Deliberately impeding other voters from casting their votes by refusing to leave a voting booth or voting device is a misdemeanor and is subject to the penalties provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW. Election officers may provide assistance in the manner provided by RCW 29A.40.160 to an…

Any person who, without lawful authority, removes a ballot from a voting center or ballot drop location is guilty of a class C felony punishable to the same extent as a class C felony that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2017 c 283 s 3; 2011 c 10 s 72; 2003 c 111 s 2124. Prio…

Anyone who, without authorization, removes from a voting center a paper record produced by a direct recording electronic voting device is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2011 c 10 s 73; 2005 c 242 s 6.]Notes:Notice to registered poll voters—Elections b…

Any person who willfully defaces, removes, or destroys any of the supplies or materials that the person knows are intended both for use in a voting center, election office, ballot counting area, ballot storage area, or election system including materials and systems meant for ena…

Any person who willfully and without authority accesses or assists another person or entity with unauthorized access to a voting center, election office, ballot counting area, ballot storage area, or any election system, or provides unauthorized access to another person or entity…

Any person who tampers with or damages or attempts to damage any voting machine or device to be used or being used in a primary or special or general election, or who prevents or attempts to prevent the correct operation of such machine or device, or any unauthorized person who a…

A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who knowingly:(1) Deceives any voter in recording his or her vote by providing incorrect or misleading recording information or by providing faulty election equipment or records;(2) Records the vote of any voter in a manner other than as …

Any person who uses menace, force, threat, or any unlawful means towards any voter to hinder or deter such a voter from voting, or directly or indirectly offers any bribe, reward, or any thing of value to a voter in exchange for the voter's vote for or against any person or ballo…

Any person who in any way, directly or indirectly, by menace or unlawful means, attempts to influence any person in refusing to give his or her vote in any primary or special or general election is guilty of a gross misdemeanor punishable to the same extent as a gross misdemeanor…

Any person who solicits, requests, or demands, directly or indirectly, any reward or thing of value or the promise thereof in exchange for his or her vote or in exchange for the vote of any other person for or against any candidate or for or against any ballot measure to be voted…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6084.SL) ***(1) Any person who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in this state more than once at any election, or who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in both this state and another state at any election, is guilty of a class C felony.(2) …

Any election officer who intentionally tabulates or causes to be tabulated, through any act or omission, an invalid ballot when the person has actual knowledge that the ballot is invalid, is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2011 c 10 s 75; 2003 c 111 s …

Any person who knows that he or she does not possess the legal qualifications of a voter and who votes at any primary or special or general election authorized by law to be held in this state for any office whatever is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2…

(1) A person who willfully violates any provision of chapter 29A.40 RCW regarding the assertion or declaration of qualifications to receive or cast a ballot or unlawfully casts a ballot is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.(2) Except as provided in this ch…

Every person who:(1) Knowingly and falsely issues a certificate of nomination or election; or(2) Knowingly provides false information on a minor party or independent candidate certificate of nomination is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.[ 2013 c 11 s 84;…

Every person charged with the performance of any duty under the provisions of any law of this state relating to elections, including primaries, or the provisions of any charter or ordinance of any city or town of this state relating to elections who willfully neglects or refuses …

(1) In any location in which ballots are counted, no person authorized by law to be present while votes are being counted may divulge any results of the count of the ballots at any time prior to 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or special or general election.(2) A violation of…