Automatic voter reg./tribes

AN ACT Relating to automatic voter registration for tribal 1
members; amending RCW 29A.08.110 and 29A.08.370; and adding new 2
sections to chapter 29A.08 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29A.08 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
The definition in this section applies throughout this chapter 7
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 8
"Tribe" means any federally recognized Indian tribe whose 9
traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington.10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 29A.08 11
RCW to read as follows: 12
(1) The secretary of state is authorized to enter into state-13
tribal compacts with tribes for the purposes of automatic voter 14
registration of members of a tribe under section 3 of this act.15
(2) No later than six months after July 1, 2025, the secretary of 16
state shall establish an application and approval process, 17
procedures, and timelines for negotiation, approval or disapproval, 18
and execution of state-tribal compacts for the purposes of automatic 19
registration of the members of a tribe. 20
H-0884.1
HOUSE BILL 1713
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Stearns, Lekanoff, Simmons, Parshley, Peterson,
Fosse, Street, Doglio, Reed, Pollet, Ormsby, Hill, and Ramel
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
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(3) The process may be initiated by submission, to the secretary 1
of state, of a resolution by the governing body of a tribe.2
(4) Within 90 days of receipt of a resolution and application 3
under this section, the secretary of state must convene a government-4
to-government meeting for the purpose of considering the resolution 5
and application and initiating negotiations. 6
(5) The secretary of state shall adopt such rules as are 7
necessary to implement this chapter. 8
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 29A.08 9
RCW to read as follows: 10
(1) Upon final execution of a state-tribal compact under section 11
2 of this act, the secretary of state must receive and process voter 12
registration information for all members of a tribe from the tribe by 13
automated process if: 14
(a) The applicant meets requirements for voter registration;15
(b) The record associated with each member of the tribe contains:16
(i) The data required to determine whether the applicant meets 17
requirements for voter registration under RCW 29A.08.010;18
(ii) The name, traditional or nontraditional residence address, 19
address where the person receives mail, if different from the 20
residence address, and date of birth of the applicant;21
(iii) Documentation confirming the individual is a United States 22
citizen; 23
(iv) Other information as required by the secretary of state; and24
(v) A signature image. 25
(2) For applicants served under this section, the application is 26
marked as an automatic voter registrant. 27
Sec. 4. RCW 29A.08.110 and 2023 c 466 s 4 are each amended to 28
read as follows: 29
(1) For persons registering under RCW 29A.08.120, 29A.08.123, 30
29A.08.170, 29A.08.330, 29A.08.340, 29A.08.362, and 29A.08.365, an 31
application is considered complete only if it contains the 32
information required by RCW 29A.08.010. The applicant is considered 33
to be registered to vote as of: 34
(a) The original date of receipt; 35
(b) When the person will be at least eighteen years old by the 36
next election; 37
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(c) When the person will be at least seventeen years old by the 1
next primary election or presidential primary election and eighteen 2
years old by the general election, whichever is applicable; or3
(d) For voters utilizing automatic voter registration under RCW 4
29A.08.315 at the department of licensing or under section 3 of this 5
act, the date that an election official receives the information to 6
register the person to vote, unless: 7
(i) The voter declines registration by the deadline in RCW 8
29A.08.359(4)(a); or 9
(ii) An election official receives the information to register 10
the person to vote after the deadline to register to vote under RCW 11
29A.08.140(1)(a), in which case the applicant is considered to be 12
registered to vote as of the day after the election.13
(2) As soon as practicable, the auditor shall record the 14
appropriate precinct identification, taxing district identification, 15
and date of registration on the voter's record in the state voter 16
registration list. The secretary of state shall, pursuant to RCW 17
29A.04.611, establish procedures to enable new or updated voter 18
registrations to be recorded on an expedited basis. Any mailing 19
address provided shall be used only for mail delivery purposes, and 20
not for precinct assignment or residency purposes.21
(3) The voter must be sent an acknowledgment notice using first-22
class nonforwardable mail: 23
(a) For voters utilizing automatic voter registration services at 24
the department of licensing, within five business days after the 25
receipt of an application or residential address change, or, if the 26
application or residential address change is received after the 27
deadline to register to vote or update a voter registration under RCW 28
29A.08.140 (1)(a) or (2)(a)(i), within five business days after the 29
election, the auditor shall send an automatic voter registration 30
acknowledgment notice package as required by RCW 29A.08.030.31
(b) For voters utilizing automatic voter registration services 32
under section 3 of this act, within five business days after the 33
receipt of an application, or, if the application is received after 34
the deadline to register to vote or update a voter registration under 35
RCW 29A.08.140(1)(a), within five business days after the election, 36
the auditor shall send an automatic voter registration acknowledgment 37
notice package as required by RCW 29A.08.030.38
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(c) For all other voters, within 60 days after the receipt of an 1
application or residential address change, the auditor shall send an 2
acknowledgment notice as required by RCW 29A.08.030.3
(4) If an application is not complete, the auditor shall promptly 4
mail a verification notice to the applicant. The verification notice 5
shall require the applicant to provide the missing information. If 6
the applicant provides the required information within forty-five 7
days, the applicant shall be registered to vote as of the original 8
date of application. The applicant shall not be placed on the 9
official list of registered voters until the application is complete.10
(5) Once a future voter is no longer in pending status, as 11
described in RCW 29A.08.615, his or her application to sign up to 12
register to vote is no longer pending and is subject to this section.13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 29A.08 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
(1)(a) For persons registering under section 3 of this act, an 16
application is considered complete only if it contains the 17
information required by RCW 29A.08.010 and other information as 18
required by the secretary of state. The applicant is considered to be 19
registered to vote as of the date set forth in RCW 29A.08.110(1).20
(b) If the information shows no name change or change of 21
residence or mailing address for an existing voter registration, the 22
auditor may choose to send the voter an acknowledgment notice.23
(c) If the information is an application for new registration or 24
updates any element of an existing voter registration, the auditor 25
shall update the voter's record and, if the information updates the 26
voter's name, residence address, or mailing address, record the 27
appropriate precinct identification, taxing district identification, 28
and date of registration on the voter's record in the state voter 29
registration list and send an automatic voter registration 30
acknowledgment notice package within five business days of the 31
original application, or, if the information is received after the 32
deadline to register to vote or update a voter registration under RCW 33
29A.08.140(1)(a), within five business days after the election. Any 34
mailing address provided shall be used only for mail delivery 35
purposes, and not for precinct assignment or residency purposes.36
(d) An auditor may use other means to communicate with potential 37
and registered voters such as, but not limited to, email, phone, or 38
text messaging. The alternate form of communication must not be in 39
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lieu of the mail requirements. The auditor shall act in compliance 1
with all voter notification processes established in federal law.2
(2) If an application is not complete, the auditor shall promptly 3
mail a verification notice to the applicant. The verification notice 4
must require the applicant to provide the missing information. If the 5
applicant provides the required information within 45 days, the 6
applicant must be registered to vote. The applicant must not be 7
placed on the official list of registered voters until the 8
application is complete. 9
(3) If the prospective registration applicant responds to the 10
automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice and declines to 11
register to vote or the information provided by the department of 12
licensing does not indicate citizenship, the information must not be 13
included on the list of registered voters. 14
(4)(a) For new registrants who decline registration in a reply 15
that is received by the auditor within 15 days from the date of 16
mailing of the automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice 17
package, the voter registration record shall be removed from the list 18
of registered voters, and the person is deemed to have never 19
registered to vote. 20
(b) If the reply declining registration is received after the 21
deadline, the auditor shall cancel the voter's registration.22
Sec. 6. RCW 29A.08.370 and 2023 c 466 s 19 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
(1) If a person who is ineligible to vote becomes, in the rare 25
occasion, registered to vote under RCW 29A.08.355 ((or)), 29A.08.362, 26
or section 3 of this act in the absence of a knowing violation by 27
that person of RCW 29A.84.140, that person shall be deemed to have 28
performed an authorized act of registration and such act may not be 29
considered as evidence of a claim to citizenship. 30
(2) Unless a person willfully and knowingly votes or attempts to 31
vote knowing that he or she is not entitled to vote, a person who is 32
ineligible to vote and becomes registered to vote under RCW 33
29A.08.355 or 29A.08.362, and subsequently votes or attempts to vote 34
in an election held after the effective date of the person's 35
registration, is not guilty of violating RCW 29A.84.130, and shall be 36
deemed to have performed an authorized act, and such act may not be 37
considered as evidence of a claim to citizenship. 38
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(3) A person who is ineligible to vote, who successfully 1
completes the voter registration process under RCW 29A.08.355 or 2
29A.08.362 or votes in an election, must have their voter 3
registration, or record of vote, removed from the voter registration 4
database and any other application records. 5
(4) Should an ineligible individual become registered to vote, 6
the office of the secretary of state and the relevant agency shall 7
jointly determine the cause. If the cause is found to be intentional 8
registration of ineligible persons by a person employed by the state 9
or county government tasked with assisting the public with voter 10
registration, that government employee is subject to the penalties of 11
RCW 29A.84.110. 12
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