Electioneering/auditors

AN ACT Relating to prohibitions on electioneering near county 1
auditor election offices; amending RCW 29A.84.510; and creating a new 2
section. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that every state, 5
including Washington, has some form of restriction on political 6
activities near polling places while voting is taking place. These 7
electioneering prohibitions near voting centers, ballot drop boxes, 8
and election offices create reasonable "buffer zones" and do not 9
significantly impinge on First Amendment rights. These prohibitions 10
are important tools to prevent intimidation and election fraud.11
The legislature further finds that parking lots, which serve as 12
corridors for voters seeking to register to vote and cast a ballot, 13
are an extension of election offices and should not feature campaign 14
signs or placards encouraging voters to cast votes for or against a 15
candidate or ballot measure during the election period. This narrowly 16
tailored prohibition protects both First Amendment rights of 17
political campaigns and the right of voters to be free from any form 18
of intimidation or influence while they attempt to cast a ballot.19
S-1059.2
SENATE BILL 5684
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Kauffman, Valdez, Hasegawa, and Nobles
Read first time 02/06/25. Referred to Committee on State Government,
Tribal Affairs & Elections.
p. 1 SB 5684
Sec. 2. RCW 29A.84.510 and 2022 c 69 s 3 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
(1) During the voting period that begins eighteen days before and 3
ends the day of a special election, general election, or primary, no 4
person may: 5
(a) Within a voting center or student engagement hub ; or within 6
the building which contains the division of elections for a county 7
auditor's office, including any parking lot adjacent to the building 8
and routinely used for parking at that building and any routes of 9
access between the building and any parking lot; or in any public 10
street or room in any public manner within 100 feet measured radially 11
from the entrance to a voting center or student engagement hub or 25 12
feet measured radially from a ballot drop box as described in RCW 13
29A.40.170: 14
(i) Suggest or persuade or attempt to suggest or persuade any 15
voter to vote for or against any candidate or ballot measure;16
(ii) Circulate cards or handbills of any kind;17
(iii) Solicit signatures to any kind of petition; or18
(iv) Engage in any practice which interferes with the freedom of 19
voters to exercise their franchise or disrupts the administration of 20
the voting center; 21
(b) Engage in any activities restricted under (a) of this 22
subsection through electronic amplification located more than 100 23
feet from an entrance to a voting center or student engagement hub or 24
25 feet from an entrance to a ballot drop box if the person is 25
capable of being understood within 100 feet of the voting center or 26
student engagement hub or 25 feet of the ballot drop box;27
(c) Obstruct the doors or entries to a building in which a voting 28
center or ballot drop location is located or prevent free access to 29
and from any voting center or ballot drop location.30
(2) The auditor shall post a sign at the point or points 31
specified at each voting center as required by RCW 29A.40.160 during 32
the voting period providing notice of the prohibition in subsection 33
(1)(a) of this section. 34
(3) Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or municipal law enforcement 35
officer shall stop the prohibited activity, and may arrest any person 36
engaging in the prohibited activity. 37
(4) Any violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor, 38
punishable to the same extent as a gross misdemeanor that is 39
p. 2 SB 5684
punishable under RCW 9A.20.021, and the person convicted may be 1
ordered to pay the costs of prosecution. 2
(5) Nothing in this section may be construed to limit or 3
otherwise restrict the access of an authorized political party 4
observer to a voting center, student engagement hub, or ballot drop 5
box for the purpose of observing the election process.6
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p. 3 SB 5684