Voting services

AN ACT Relating to ensuring 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
S-3589.3
SENATE BILL 6035
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Kauffman, Frame, Liias, Nobles, Riccelli, Slatter,
Stanford, Trudeau, and Valdez
Prefiled 01/08/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.
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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. Each biennium, the secretary of state must 32
meet with Indian tribes of the state to provide a forum for 33
discussing and addressing barriers to voting, including but not 34
limited to:35
(1) Education and outreach tools for tribal voters;36
(2) The use of tribal identification card data for online voter 37
registration; 38
(3) Assistance with tribal-led voter registration drives;39
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(4) Establishment of ballot mailing sites on tribal land for 1
voters with nontraditional mailing addresses; 2
(5) Installation of ballot drop boxes on or near tribal lands;3
(6) Providing students with information about voting and 4
opportunities to register or preregister to vote; 5
(7) Personalized voter registration links, emails with election 6
date reminders, and meetings or presentations on various elections 7
topics; and 8
(8) Any other policy issues or tribal concerns.9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The secretary of state may employ an 10
electronic ballot portal to be available for the following registered 11
voters:12
(a) Service voters as defined in RCW 29A.04.163;13
(b) Overseas voters as defined in RCW 29A.04.109;14
(c) Disabled voters as defined in RCW 29A.04.037; and15
(d) Any elector who is a member of an Indian tribe and resides on 16
an Indian reservation. 17
(2) Only the voters described in subsection (1) of this section 18
shall be permitted to use an approved portal to return voted ballots.19
(3) Prior to use in conducting any primary or election for voters 20
described in subsection (1) of this section in returning voted 21
ballots, the secretary of state must approve any electronic ballot 22
portal used in the conduct of elections. 23
(a) The secretary of state shall make reasonable rules to develop 24
and test electronic methods of ballot return for voters described in 25
subsection (1) of this section that are secure against electronic 26
monitoring and incursion or interference, provide the maximum level 27
of voter secrecy and privacy available, and ensure that only a single 28
vote is cast by any voter. 29
(b) The secretary of state shall make reasonable rules governing 30
the use of any approved portal that include times of availability, 31
storage of ballots, and establishing the circumstance in which a 32
voter described in subsection (1) of this section may use the portal 33
to return a voted ballot. 34
(c) The secretary of state shall make reasonable rules related to 35
the standards and procedures for the examination and testing of any 36
portal to be used by voters described in subsection (1) of this 37
section. 38
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(d) Each county election office using an approved portal for the 1
return of voted ballots must keep a record of every attempt at ballot 2
return, successful and unsuccessful, and prepare a report at the 3
conclusion of each voting period listing the number of ballots 4
returned using the portal and confirming that only voters described 5
in subsection (1) of this section used the portal. The report must be 6
submitted to the secretary of state using the deadlines contained in 7
RCW 29A.60.190. 8
(e) The secretary of state shall prepare a statewide report 9
annually aggregating the information provided by each county.10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The secretary of state may rely on the 11
results of independent design, engineering, and performance 12
evaluations for the purposes of this act and the source and scope of 13
these independent evaluations are specified by rule.14
(2) The secretary of state may contract with experts to assist in 15
examining an electronic ballot portal. 16
(3) The secretary of state may consult with experts to assist in 17
drafting reasonable rules, including: 18
(a) County auditors; 19
(b) Representatives from the University of Washington Evans 20
school of public policy and governance; and 21
(c) Representatives with expertise in electronic voting methods.22
(4) This section expires January 1, 2034. 23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The definitions in this section apply 24
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires 25
otherwise.26
"Indian tribe" means any federally recognized Indian tribe whose 27
traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington.28
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The provisions of this chapter must be 29
implemented by January 1, 2029.30
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1 through 6 of this act 31
constitute a new chapter in Title 29A RCW.32
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