(1) Notwithstanding RCW 57.12.020 and 57.12.030, the board of commissioners may provide by majority vote that subsequent commissioners be elected from commissioner districts within the district. If the board exercises this option, it shall divide the district into three, five, or seven if the number of commissioners has been increased under RCW 57.12.015, commissioner districts of approximately equal population following current precinct and district boundaries.

(2) Commissioner districts shall be used as follows: (a) Only a registered voter who resides in a commissioner district may be a candidate for, or serve as, a commissioner of the commissioner district; and (b) only voters of a commissioner district may vote at a primary to nominate candidates for a commissioner of the commissioner district. Voters of the entire district may vote at a general election to elect a person as a commissioner of the commissioner district. Commissioner districts shall be redrawn as provided in chapter 29A.76 RCW.

(3) In districts in which commissioners are nominated from commissioner districts, at the inception of a five-member or a seven-member board of commissioners, the new commissioner districts shall be numbered one through five or one through seven and the incumbent commissioners shall represent up to five commissioner districts depending on the amount of commissioners. If, as a result of redrawing the district boundaries two or three of the incumbent commissioners reside in one of the new commissioner districts, the commissioners who reside in the same commissioner district shall determine by lot which of the first three or five numbered commissioner districts they shall represent for the remainder of their respective terms. A primary shall be held to nominate candidates from the remaining districts where necessary and commissioners shall be elected at large at the general election. The persons elected as commissioners from the remaining commissioner districts shall take office immediately after qualification as defined under RCW 29A.04.133.

Part headings not law—Effective date—1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.