Candidate filing

AN ACT Relating to candidate filing requirements; amending RCW 1
29A.24.091; reenacting and amending RCW 29A.84.320; and adding a new 2
section to chapter 29A.36 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 29A.24.091 and 2023 c 394 s 5 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section:7
(a) A filing fee of ten dollars shall accompany the declaration 8
of candidacy for any office with a fixed annual salary of one 9
thousand dollars or less. A filing fee equal to one percent of the 10
annual salary of the office at the time of filing shall accompany the 11
declaration of candidacy for any office with a fixed annual salary of 12
more than one thousand dollars per annum. No filing fee need 13
accompany a declaration of candidacy for precinct committee officer 14
or any office for which compensation is on a per diem or per meeting 15
attended basis, or any declaration of candidacy for a write-in 16
candidate filed after the close of filing and more than eighteen days 17
prior to a primary or election. 18
(((2))) (b) A filing fee of twenty-five dollars shall accompany 19
the declaration of candidacy for write-in candidates for any office 20
S-0542.1
SENATE BILL 5225
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators MacEwen, Liias, Nobles, Riccelli, and Shewmake
Prefiled 01/10/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.
p. 1 SB 5225
with a fixed annual salary of one thousand dollars or less if filed 1
eighteen days or less prior to a primary or election.2
(((3))) (c) A filing fee equal to one percent of the annual 3
salary of the office at the time of filing shall accompany a 4
declaration of candidacy for write-in candidates for any office with 5
a fixed annual salary of more than one thousand dollars per annum if 6
filed eighteen days or less prior to a primary or election.7
(2) For candidates for statewide offices, United States senate, 8
United States house of representatives, and Washington state 9
legislature, half of the filing fee as described in subsection (1) of 10
this section must be provided upon filing and half of the filing fee 11
and the signature petition required under subsection (3) of this 12
section must be provided upon the conclusion of filing week as 13
designated under RCW 29A.24.050.14
(3)(a) Candidates as described in subsection (2) of this section 15
shall submit with the candidate's declaration of candidacy a 16
signature petition as follows:17
(i) For candidates for the Washington state legislature, the 18
petition must contain not less than 500 signatures;19
(ii) For candidates for the United States house of 20
representatives, the petition must contain not less than 750 21
signatures; and22
(iii) For candidates for statewide offices and the United States 23
senate, the petition must contain not less than 1,000 signatures.24
(b) The signatures must be of voters registered to vote within 25
the jurisdiction of the office for which the candidate is filing.26
(4) A candidate who lacks sufficient assets or income at the time 27
of filing to pay the filing fee required by this section shall submit 28
with the candidate's declaration of candidacy a filing fee petition. 29
The petition shall contain not less than a number of signatures of 30
registered voters equal to the number of dollars of the filing fee. 31
The signatures shall be of voters registered to vote within the 32
jurisdiction of the office for which the candidate is filing.33
(5) The secretary of state may increase candidate filing fees by 34
rule in order to cover the expense of signature verifications as 35
required to comply with subsection (3) of this section.36
Sec. 2. RCW 29A.84.320 and 2003 c 111 s 2118 and 2003 c 53 s 177 37
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:38
p. 2 SB 5225
A person is guilty of a class B felony punishable according to 1
chapter 9A.20 RCW who files a declaration of candidacy for any public 2
office of: 3
(1) A nonexistent or fictitious person; or 4
(2) The name of any person not his or her true name; or5
(3) A name similar to that of an incumbent seeking reelection to 6
the same office with intent to confuse and mislead the electors by 7
taking advantage of the public reputation of the incumbent; or8
(4) A surname similar to one who has already filed for the same 9
office, and whose political reputation is widely known, with intent 10
to confuse and mislead the electors by capitalizing on the public 11
reputation of the candidate ((who had previously filed )), regardless 12
of whether the declaration of candidacy is filed before or after such 13
person. 14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 29A.36 15
RCW to read as follows: 16
Whenever, in the judgment of the filing officer, two or more 17
candidates have filed for the same office whose names are so similar 18
as to be confusing to voters, the filing officer shall list such 19
candidates on the ballot in consecutive order and differentiate 20
between the candidates by the inclusion of additional information in 21
connection with the name as it appears on the ballot. Such 22
differentiation may be made by the inclusion of the candidate's 23
occupation, status as incumbent or challenger, or by any other means 24
which, in the judgment of the filing officer, fairly and impartially 25
distinguishes the candidates. The filing officer may solicit 26
suggestions and input from the candidates involved in order to 27
resolve the situation. 28
--- END ---
p. 3 SB 5225