Title 29A, ELECTIONS

A person applying for government services which require proof of citizenship as part of that application may receive automatic voter registration services by providing the following information: (1) Name; (2) Residential address; (3) Date of birth; (4) A signature attesting to th…

For persons not performing an automatic voter registration transaction subject to RCW 29A.08.315: (1) A person may register to vote or update their residential address information for a voter registration when applying for service or assistance and with each renewal, recertificat…

(1) The secretary of state shall prescribe the method of voter registration for each designated agency. The agency shall use either the state voter registration by mail form with a separate declination form for the applicant to decline to register at this time, or the agency may …

(1) A person not performing an automatic voter registration transaction under RCW 29A.08.315 may register to vote or update the person's existing voter registration when applying for or renewing a driver's license or identification card under chapter 46.20 RCW. (2) To register to…

The department of licensing shall produce and transmit to the secretary of state the following information from the records of each individual who requested to register to vote or update the individual's existing voter registration at a driver's license facility: The name, addres…

(1) The department of licensing must collect and transmit to the secretary of state voter registration information for all citizens applying for, renewing, or updating an enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard by automated process at the time of registration, renewal, o…

(1) For applicants served under RCW 29A.08.355, the application is submitted pursuant to RCW 29A.08.350 and marked as an automatic voter registrant. (2) For each such application, the secretary of state must obtain a digital copy of the applicant's signature image from the depart…

(1)(a) For persons age eighteen years and older registering under RCW 29A.08.355(1), an application is considered complete only if it contains the information required by RCW 29A.08.010 and other information as required by the secretary of state. The applicant is considered to be…

(1) The health benefit exchange shall provide the following information to the secretary of state's office for consenting Washington healthplanfinder applicants who affirmatively indicate that they are interested in registering to vote, including applicants who file changes of ad…

(1) The governor shall make a decision, in consultation with the office of the secretary of state, as to whether each agency identified in subsection (2) of this section shall implement automatic voter registration. The final decision is at the governor's sole discretion. (2) Thi…

(1) If a person who is ineligible to vote becomes, in the rare occasion, registered to vote under RCW 29A.08.355 or 29A.08.362 in the absence of a knowing violation by that person of RCW 29A.84.140, that person shall be deemed to have performed an authorized act of registration a…

A registered voter who changes residence from one address to another may transfer the voter's registration to the new address in one of the following ways: (1) Sending the county auditor a request stating both the voter's present address and the address from which the voter was l…

A registered voter who changes his or her name shall notify the county auditor regarding the name change by submitting a notice clearly identifying the name under which he or she is registered to vote, the voter's new name, and the voter's residence, and providing a signature of …

The registrations of deceased voters may be canceled from voter registration lists as follows: (1) Periodically, the registrar of vital statistics of the state shall prepare a list of persons who resided in each county, for whom a death certificate was transmitted to the registra…

Upon receiving official notice that a court has imposed a guardianship for a person under RCW 11.130.265 and has determined that the person is incompetent for the purpose of rationally exercising the right to vote, if the person subject to guardianship is a registered voter in th…

(1) For a felony conviction in a Washington state court, the right to vote is automatically restored as long as the person is not serving a sentence of total confinement under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections. For a felony conviction in a federal court or any sta…

Registration records of persons whose voter registrations have been canceled as authorized under this title must be preserved in the manner prescribed by rule by the secretary of state. Information from such canceled registration records is available for public inspection and cop…

The secretary of state shall conduct an ongoing list maintenance program designed to detect persons registered in more than one county or voting in more than one county in an election. This program must be applied uniformly throughout the state and must be nondiscriminatory in it…

(1) Registered voters are divided into two categories, "active" and "inactive." All registered voters are classified as active, unless assigned to inactive status by the county auditor. (2) Persons signing up to register to vote as future voters as defined under RCW 29A.04.070 ar…

(1) Each county auditor must request change of address information from the postal service for all mail ballots. (2)(a) If change of address information received by the county auditor from the postal service, the department of licensing, or another agency designated to provide vo…

(1) A voter whose registration has been made inactive under this chapter and who requests to vote at an ensuing election before two federal general elections have been held must be allowed to vote a regular ballot applicable to the voter's current residence address, and the voter…

(1) The county auditor shall return an inactive voter to active voter status if, prior to the passage of two federal general elections, the voter: (a) Notifies the auditor of a change of address; (b) Responds to a confirmation notice with information that he or she continues to r…

Confirmation notices must be on a form prescribed by, or approved by, the secretary of state and must request that the voter verify that the voter continues to reside at the address of record and desires to continue to use that address for voting purposes, or provide a new reside…

(1) If the response to the confirmation notice from the voter indicates that the voter has changed residence address or location within the county, the auditor shall update the voter record to reflect the new residence address within the auditor's county. If the response indicate…

After certification of general, primary, and presidential primary election results, county auditors are encouraged to contact each registered voter to obtain an updated signature for the voter's registration file. Failure to respond to contact from the county auditor under this s…

(1) The county auditor shall have custody of the original voter registration records and voter registration sign up records for each county. The original voter registration form must be filed without regard to precinct and is considered confidential and unavailable for public ins…

(1) In the case of voter registration records received through the health benefit exchange, the department of licensing, or an agency designated under RCW 29A.08.310, the identity of the office or agency at which any particular individual registered to vote must be used only for …

Information that is otherwise disclosable under this chapter cannot be disclosed for a future voter until the person reaches 18 years of age, or until the person is eligible to participate in the next presidential primary, primary, or election. This information is exempt from pub…

(1) Any person who uses registered voter data furnished under RCW 29A.08.720 for the purpose of mailing or delivering any advertisement or offer for any property, establishment, organization, product, or service or for the purpose of mailing or delivering any solicitation for mon…

The secretary of state shall provide a duplicate copy of the master statewide computer file or electronic data file of registered voters to Washington technology solutions for purposes of creating the jury source list without cost. The information contained in a voter registratio…

The secretary of state and each county auditor shall maintain for at least two years and shall make available for public inspection and copying all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of insuring the accuracy and currency of …

Only voters who appear on the official statewide voter registration list are eligible to participate in elections. Each county shall maintain a copy of that county's portion of the state list. The county must ensure that voter registration data used for the production, issuance, …

(1) Registration of a person as a voter is presumptive evidence of his or her right to vote. A challenge to the person's right to vote must be based on personal knowledge of one of the following: (a) The challenged voter has been convicted of a felony that includes serving a sent…

(1) Challenges must be filed with the county auditor of the county in which the challenged voter is registered no later than 45 days before the election. The county auditor or auditor's designee presides over the hearing. (2) Challenges may be filed after 45 days before the elect…

(1) The county auditor shall, within 10 business days of receipt, publish on the auditor's internet website the entire content of any voter challenge filed under this chapter. Immediately after publishing any voter challenge, the county auditor shall notify any person who request…

(1) If the challenge is not in proper form or the factual basis for the challenge does not meet the legal grounds for a challenge, the county auditor must dismiss the challenge and notify the challenger of the reasons for the dismissal. A challenge is not in proper form if it is …

(1) The secretary of state must provide forms for voter registration challenges, and the county auditor must make such forms available. A challenge is not required to be submitted on the provided voter challenge form, but may be prepared using an official electronic voter challen…

As used in this chapter, "voting system" means: (1) The total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment including, but not limited to, the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment, that is used: (a) …

At any primary or election in any county, votes may be cast, registered, recorded, or counted by means of voting systems that have been approved under RCW 29A.12.020. [ 2003 c 111 s 301. Prior: 1990 c 59 s 17; 1967 ex.s. c 109 s 12; 1965 c 9 s 29.33.020; prior: (i) 1913 c 58 s 1,…

The secretary of state shall inspect, evaluate, and publicly test all voting systems or components of voting systems that are submitted for review under RCW 29A.12.030. The secretary of state shall determine whether the voting systems conform with all of the requirements of this …

The manufacturer or distributor of a voting system or component of a voting system may submit that system or component to the secretary of state for examination under RCW 29A.12.020. [ 2003 c 111 s 303. Prior: 1990 c 59 s 19; 1982 c 40 s 2. Formerly RCW 29.33.051.] Notes: Intent—…

(1) The secretary of state may rely on the results of independent design, engineering, and performance evaluations in the examination under RCW 29A.12.020 if the source and scope of these independent evaluations are specified by rule. (2) The secretary of state may contract with …

(1) Prior to use in conducting any primary or election, the secretary of state must approve systems used in the conduct of elections, including: (a) Voting systems, voting devices, or vote tallying systems, unless approved under this chapter or the former chapter 29.34 RCW before…

The county auditor of a county in which voting systems are used is responsible for the preparation, maintenance, and operation of those systems and may employ and direct persons to perform some or all of these functions. [ 2003 c 111 s 306. Prior: 1990 c 59 s 22; 1965 c 9 s 29.33…

An agreement to purchase or lease a voting system or a component of a voting system is subject to that system or component passing: (1) An acceptance test sufficient to demonstrate that the equipment is the same as that certified by the secretary of state and that the equipment i…

No voting device shall be approved by the secretary of state unless it: (1) Secures to the voter secrecy in the act of voting; (2) Permits the voter to vote for any person for any office and upon any measure that he or she has the right to vote for; (3) Correctly registers all vo…