Voting services

AN ACT Relating to increasing access to voting services for 1
military, overseas, Native American, and disabled voters; adding a 2
new chapter to Title 29A RCW; and providing an expiration date.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) To the extent practicable, each county 5
auditor shall schedule the following meetings with each Indian tribe 6
located in whole or in part within the county:7
(a) Not later than August 1st of each odd-numbered year, a 8
meeting to discuss the details for the next regularly scheduled 9
election cycle. Such a meeting may address, without limitation:10
(i) The establishment and operation of voting centers or ballot 11
drop boxes within an Indian reservation and the size requirements for 12
any such voting centers or ballot drop boxes; 13
(ii) The dates and times of the upcoming elections for which 14
voting centers or ballot drop boxes may be established;15
(iii) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 16
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request for the 17
establishment of voting centers or ballot drop boxes;18
(iv) Responsibilities for the recruitment of election officers; 19
and 20
H-2860.1
HOUSE BILL 2572
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Stearns, Parshley, Ramel, Pollet, and Nance
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
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(v) Any other information relating to the establishment and 1
operation of voting centers and ballot drop boxes; 2
(b) Not later than September 1st of each odd-numbered year, a 3
meeting to confirm any details relating to the establishment and 4
operation of voting centers or ballot drop boxes. Such a meeting may 5
address, without limitation: 6
(i) Whether the Indian tribe will request or has requested to 7
establish any voting centers or ballot drop boxes within an Indian 8
reservation and the size requirements for any such voting centers and 9
ballot drop boxes; 10
(ii) The days and hours of any voting center or ballot drop box 11
established within an Indian reservation; 12
(iii) Election officers for any voting center or ballot drop box 13
established within an Indian reservation; and 14
(iv) The deadlines relating to the next regularly scheduled 15
election cycle for the Indian tribe to submit a request for the 16
establishment of voting centers or ballot drop boxes; and17
(c) A meeting on an ongoing basis during the year of an election 18
if an Indian tribe elects to establish any voting centers or ballot 19
drop boxes within an Indian reservation. 20
(2) If a county auditor: 21
(a) Is unable to make contact with an Indian tribe to carry out 22
the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, the county 23
auditor shall contact the secretary of state to facilitate contact; 24
or 25
(b) Has not contacted an Indian tribe, a representative of the 26
Indian tribe may contact the secretary of state to facilitate 27
contact. 28
(3) The tribal liaison designated by the secretary of state may 29
assist the county auditor or an Indian tribe to facilitate any 30
contact required pursuant to this section. 31
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The secretary of state shall establish 32
an electronic ballot portal to be available for the following 33
registered voters:34
(a) Service voters as defined under RCW 29A.04.163;35
(b) Overseas voters as defined under RCW 29A.04.109;36
(c) Disabled voters as defined under RCW 29A.04.037; and37
(d) Any elector who is a member of an Indian tribe and resides on 38
an Indian reservation. 39
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(2) Only the voters described in subsection (1) of this section 1
shall be permitted to use an approved portal to return voted ballots.2
(3) The secretary of state may approve a portal for use by county 3
election offices and voters described in subsection (1) of this 4
section in returning voted ballots. Any approved portal must be 5
renewed annually and may be removed under circumstances determined by 6
the secretary of state by rule to ensure the integrity and security 7
of elections and protect the secrecy of each vote. 8
(a) The secretary of state must develop and test electronic 9
methods of ballot return for voters described in subsection (1) of 10
this section that are secure against electronic monitoring and 11
incursion or interference, provide the maximum level of voter secrecy 12
and privacy available, and ensure that only a single vote is cast by 13
any voter. 14
(b) The secretary of state may establish rules governing the use 15
of any approved portal including times of availability, storage of 16
ballots, and any processes necessary to facilitate the use of the 17
portal by a voter described in subsection (1) of this section to 18
return a voted ballot. 19
(c) The secretary of state may establish reasonable rules related 20
to the standards and procedures for the examination and testing of 21
any portal to be used by voters described in subsection (1) of this 22
section. 23
(d) Each county election office using an approved portal for the 24
return of voted ballots must keep a record of every attempt at ballot 25
return, successful and unsuccessful, and prepare a report at the 26
conclusion of each voting period listing the number of ballots 27
returned using the portal and confirming that only voters described 28
in subsection (1) of this section used the portal. The report must be 29
submitted to the secretary of state using the deadlines contained in 30
RCW 29A.60.190. 31
(e) The secretary of state shall aggregate the information 32
provided by each county and include it in the statewide 33
reconciliation report required under RCW 29A.60.235.34
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) A work group is created to advise the 35
office of the secretary of state in their work to implement the 36
electronic ballot portal established in section 2 of this act.37
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(2) The work group must be chaired by the secretary of state, or 1
the secretary's designee, and include at a minimum the following 2
members, appointed by the secretary of state: 3
(a) Two county auditors or their designees, with one auditor 4
residing in western Washington and one auditor residing in eastern 5
Washington; 6
(b) A representative from the University of Washington Evans 7
school of public policy and governance; 8
(c) A representative from a nonprofit educational research 9
organization with expertise in electronic voting methods; and10
(d) Other recognized experts and staff as deemed necessary by the 11
work group's chair. 12
(3) This section expires January 1, 2034. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. As used throughout this chapter, "Indian 14
tribe" means any federally recognized Indian tribe whose traditional 15
lands and territories included parts of Washington.16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The provisions of this chapter must be 17
implemented by January 1, 2029.18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act 19
constitute a new chapter in Title 29A RCW.20
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