Washington Administrative Code › Title 434 - Secretary of State › Chapter 434-230 - Ballots › Section 434-230-015 - Ballots and instructions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Each
			 ballot shall specify the county, the date, and whether the election is a
			 primary, special or general.
(2)
			 Each ballot must include instructions directing the voter how to mark the
			 ballot, including write-in votes if candidate races appear on the
			 ballot.
(3) Instructions that
			 accompany a ballot must:
(a) Instruct the
			 voter how to cancel a vote by drawing a line through the text of the
			 candidate's name or ballot measure response;
(b) Notify the voter that, unless
			 specifically allowed by law, more than one vote for an office or ballot measure
			 will be an overvote and no votes for that office or ballot measure will be
			 counted;
(c) Explain how to
			 complete and sign the ballot declaration. The following declaration must
			 accompany the ballot:
"I do solemnly swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that I
				am:
A United States citizen;
A Washington state resident that meet s the requirements for
				voting mandated by state law;
At least 18 years old on election day, or 17 years old at the
				primary and 18 years old by the day of the November general election;
Voting only once in this election and not voting in any other
				United States jurisdiction;
Not serving a sentence of total confinement under the
				jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections for a Washington felony
				conviction or currently incarcerated for a federal or out-of-state felony
				conviction;
Not disqualified from voting due to a court order; and
Aware it is illegal to forge a signature or cast another
				person's ballot and that attempting to vote when not qualified, attempting to
				vote more than once, or falsely signing this declaration is a felony punishable
				by a maximum imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $10,000, or
				both."
The declaration must include space for the voter to sign and
				date the declaration, for the voter to write his or her phone number, and for
				two witnesses to sign if the voter is unable to sign.
(d) Explain how the voter may make a mark,
			 witnessed by two other people, if the voter is unable to write their
			 signature;
(e) Explain that a power
			 of attorney cannot be used to sign a ballot for someone else;
(f) Explain how to place the ballot in the
			 security envelope/sleeve and place the security envelope/sleeve in the return
			 envelope;
(g) Explain how to obtain
			 a replacement ballot if the original ballot is destroyed, spoiled, or
			 lost;
(h) Explain how the voter may
			 update their address;
(i) If
			 applicable, include language with the reissued ballot notifying the voter that
			 the reissued ballot is their current ballot;
(j) If applicable, explain that postage is
			 required, or exactly how much postage is required. See WAC 434-250200 on return
			 postage;
(k) Explain that, in order
			 for the ballot to be counted, it must be either postmarked no later than
			 election day or deposited at a ballot drop box no later than 8:00 p.m. election
			 day;
(l) Explain how to learn about
			 the locations, hours, and services of voting centers and ballot drop boxes,
			 including the availability of accessible voting equipment;
(m) Include, for a primary election that
			 includes a partisan office other than a presidential primary race, a notice on
			 an insert explaining:
"In each race, you may vote for any one candidate listed. The
				two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary will advance to the
				general election.
Each candidate for partisan office may state a political party
				that he or she prefers. A candidate's preference does not imply that the
				candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of
				or associates with that candidate."
(n)
(i)
			 Include, for a general election that includes a partisan office, the following
			 explanation:
"If a primary election was held for an office, the two
				candidates who received the most votes in the primary advanced to the general
				election.
Each candidate for partisan office may state a political party
				that he or she prefers. A candidate's preference does not imply that the
				candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of
				or associates with that candidate."
(ii) In a year that president and vice
			 president appear on the general election ballot, the following must be added to
			 the statement required by (n)(i) of this subsection:
"The election for president and vice president is different.
				Candidates for president and vice president are the official nominees of their
				political party."