Title 29A, ELECTIONS

(1)(a) Any person who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in this state more than once in the same election, or who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in both this state and another state in the same election, is guilty of a class C felony. (b) For purposes of this secti…

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. [ …

(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 c…

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 …

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 o…

(1) The legislature and the people find that the federal Nuclear Waste Policy Act provides that within sixty days of the president's recommendation of a site for a high-level nuclear waste repository, a state may disapprove the selection of such site in that state. (2) The legisl…

(1) Within seven days after any recommendation by the president of the United States of a site in the state of Washington to be a high-level nuclear waste repository under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 10136, the governor shall set the date for a special statewide election to vote on disapprova…

The state of Washington shall assume the costs of any special election called under RCW 29A.88.020 in the same manner as provided in RCW 29A.04.420 and 29A.04.430. [ 2003 c 111 s 2203. Prior: 1986 ex.s. c 1 s 5. Formerly RCW 29.91.030.]

The secretary of state shall promptly notify the county auditors of the date of the special election and certify to them the text of the ballot title for this special election. The general election laws shall apply to the election required by RCW 29A.88.020 to the extent that the…

The ballot title for the special election called under RCW 29A.88.020 shall be "Shall the Governor be required to notify Congress of Washington's disapproval of the President's recommendation of [name of site] as a national high-level nuclear waste repository?" [ 2003 c 111 s 220…

If the governor or the legislature fails to prepare and submit a notice of disapproval to the United States Congress within fifty-five days of the president's recommendation and a majority of the voters in the special election held pursuant to RCW 29A.88.020 favored such notice o…

The legislature finds that electoral systems that deny race, color, or language minority groups an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice or impair their ability to otherwise participate in any state of the political process are inconsistent with the right to free …

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. In applying these definitions and other terms in this chapter, courts may rely on relevant federal case law for guidance. (1) "At large election" means any of the followin…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, no political subdivision responsible for election administration may abridge the rights of voters who are members of a protected class or classes by implementing, imposing, or enforcing any election policy or practice, or …

(1) No method of electing the governing body of a political subdivision may be imposed or applied in a manner that impairs the ability of members of a protected class or classes to have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice as a result of the dilution of the vo…

(1) A political subdivision that conducts an election pursuant to state, county, or local law, is authorized to change its electoral system, including, but not limited to, implementing a district-based election system, or increasing the number of elected officials on a county com…

(1)(a) Prior to the adoption of its proposed plan, the political subdivision must provide public notice to residents of the subdivision about the proposed remedy to a potential violation of this chapter. If a significant segment of the residents of the subdivision have limited En…

(1) A voter who resides in the political subdivision, an organization whose roster of members and volunteers includes a voter who resides in the political subdivision, or a tribe located at least in part in the political subdivision who intends to challenge a political subdivisio…

(1) The political subdivision shall work in good faith with the person, organization, or tribe providing the notice to implement a remedy that resolves the potential violation or violations identified in the notice and provides the protected class or classes identified in the not…

(1) Any voter who resides in the political subdivision, organization whose roster of members and volunteers includes a voter who resides in the political subdivision, or tribe located at least in part in the political subdivision may file an action under this chapter if, 90 days …

(1)(a) After exhaustion of the time period in RCW 29A.92.080, any voter who resides in a political subdivision, organization whose roster of members and volunteers includes a voter who resides in the political subdivision, or tribe located at least in part in the political subdiv…

(1) In an action filed pursuant to this chapter, the trial court shall set a trial to be held no later than one year after the filing of a complaint, and shall set a discovery and motions calendar accordingly. (2) For purposes of any applicable statute of limitations, a cause of …

(1) After finding a violation of this chapter or upon stipulation of the parties, the court may order appropriate remedies that are tailored to address the violation including, but not limited to, the imposition of a district-based election system or expansion of the number of el…

(1) A county may reasonably increase the number of elected commissioners to remedy a potential violation of RCW 29A.92.030 if the protected class or one of the protected classes subject to alleged vote dilution is Indian tribal status. (2) After finding a violation of RCW 29A.92.…

(1) No action under this chapter may be brought by any person against a political subdivision that has adopted a remedy to its electoral system after an action is filed that is approved by a court pursuant to RCW 29A.92.070 or implemented a court-ordered remedy pursuant to RCW 29…

(1) In any action to enforce this chapter, the court may allow the prevailing plaintiff or plaintiffs, other than the state or political subdivision thereof, reasonable attorneys' fees, all nonattorney fee costs as defined by RCW 4.84.010, and all reasonable expert witness fees, …

The provisions of RCW 29A.92.005 through 29A.92.030, 29A.92.060 through 29A.92.130, 29A.92.021, and 29A.92.900 are not applicable to cities and towns with populations under one thousand or to school districts with K-12 full-time equivalent enrollments of less than two hundred fif…

This chapter supersedes other state laws and local ordinances to the extent that those state laws or ordinances would otherwise restrict a jurisdiction's ability to comply with this chapter. [ 2019 c 64 s 15; 2018 c 113 s 503.] Notes: Explanatory statement—2019 c 64: See note fol…

In further recognition of the protections for the right to vote provided by the Constitution of the state of Washington, statutes, rules and regulations, and local laws, town charters, and ordinances related to the right to vote shall be construed liberally in favor of: (1) Prote…

This chapter may be known and cited as the Washington voting rights act of 2018. [ 2019 c 64 s 16; 2018 c 113 s 101.] Notes: Explanatory statement—2019 c 64: See note following RCW 1.20.110.

(1) "Covered jurisdiction" means: (a) A political subdivision which, within the previous 25 years, has become subject to a court order, government enforcement action, court-approved consent decree, or a settlement in which the political subdivision conceded liability, based upon …

(1)(a) Prior to adopting or administering a covered policy as defined in RCW 29A.93.010, the governing body of a covered jurisdiction shall submit such covered policy to the attorney general for issuance of a certification of no objection to the proposed covered policy. (b) The a…

(1) An action may be filed by any aggrieved person in any of the following circumstances: (a) The attorney general has issued a certification of no objection to a covered policy in violation of RCW 29A.93.020; or (b) To compel the governing body of the covered jurisdiction to see…

(1) No later than July 1st of each even-numbered year, the attorney general shall, in consultation with the office of financial management and other relevant agencies, designate those political subdivisions which qualify as covered jurisdictions pursuant to RCW 29A.93.010 based o…

Once the attorney general issues a certificate of no objection pursuant to RCW 29A.93.020, or once the attorney general's certificate of no objection of a covered policy is upheld by a court in the case of an appeal under RCW 29A.93.030(1)(a), whichever is later, an action agains…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. "Federally recognized Indian tribe" means any federally recognized Indian tribe whose traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington as described in RCW 43…

(1) To the extent practicable, each county auditor shall schedule the following meetings with each federally recognized Indian tribe located in whole or in part within the county: (a) Not later than August 1st of each odd-numbered year, a meeting to discuss the details for the ne…

Each biennium, the secretary of state must meet with the federally recognized Indian tribes of the state to provide a forum for discussing and addressing barriers to voting, including but not limited to: (1) Education and outreach tools for tribal voters; (2) The use of tribal id…

(1) The secretary of state may, within existing resources, study the feasibility of employing an electronic ballot portal that enables covered voters to return a voted ballot. (2) Any electronic ballot portal design being studied must: (a) Be secure against electronic monitoring …