Chapter 434-232 WAC
Last Update: 7/25/24SEVENTEEN YEAR OLDS PARTICIPATING IN THE PRIMARY—FUTURE VOTERS
WAC Sections
HTMLPDF | 434-232-010 | Definitions. |
HTMLPDF | 434-232-020 | Primary-only voters—Future voters eligible to participate in primaries. |
HTMLPDF | 434-232-030 | Ballots issued to primary-only voters. |
HTMLPDF | 434-232-040 | Information pertaining to primary-only voters, when disclosable. |
PDF434-232-010
Definitions.
(1) "Ballot measure" for the purposes of this chapter means any question put forth for voting that involves a yes/no or approve/disapprove response. This includes, but is not limited to, any bond election; tax levy proposition; election to form, dissolve, or annex territory into a district or municipality; charter adoption, amendment, or abandonment; initiative; referendum; advisory vote; or any issue characterized by finalization of the question.
(2) "Contests prohibited to primary-only voters" means the following contests, even when held in conjunction with a primary:
(a) Any ballot measure; or
(b) Any contest where a candidate is deemed elected following the primary including, but not limited to, candidates for precinct committee officer, freeholder, charter review, and commissioners elected to a newly formed jurisdiction.
(3) "Contests subject to participation by primary-only voters" means the following contests:
(a) Nonpartisan candidate races that contain three or more candidates, appearing on a primary ballot;
(b) Partisan candidate races, regardless of the number of candidates, appearing on a primary ballot; and
(c) The presidential primary as described in chapter 29A.56 RCW regardless of the number of presidential candidates appearing on the ballot.
(4) "Primary-only voter ballots" are ballots issued to primary-only voters that contain only contests subject to participation by primary-only voters, and do not include races or contests prohibited to primary-only voters.
(5) "Primary-only voters" means a voter who is 17 years of age on the day of the primary but will reach the age of 18 on or before the date of the following November general election. Primary-only voters are only authorized to participate in primary elections and prohibited from participating in any special or general election.
(6) "Standard primary ballots" are ballots issued to all voters who are at least 18 years of age on the date of the primary that contain all applicable issues and candidate races for that ballot style.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 29A.04.611. WSR 22-10-041, § 434-232-010, filed 4/27/22, effective 5/28/22.]
PDF434-232-020
Primary-only voters—Future voters eligible to participate in primaries.
As authorized by RCW 29A.08.170, persons signed up to register to vote as part of the future voter program are eligible to vote in state and local primaries and presidential primaries if they are 17 years of age on the day of the primary and will be 18 years of age on or before the day of the associated subsequent November general election.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 29A.04.611. WSR 22-10-041, § 434-232-020, filed 4/27/22, effective 5/28/22.]
PDF434-232-030
Ballots issued to primary-only voters.
The county auditor may issue standard primary ballots to primary-only voters that contain all eligible races in a state, local, or presidential primary if there are no contests prohibited to primary-only voters on the ballot. When a contest prohibited to primary-only voters is held on the date of the primary as specified in RCW 29A.04.311, county election offices must issue primary-only voter ballots to primary-only voters.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 29A.04.611. WSR 22-10-041, § 434-232-030, filed 4/27/22, effective 5/28/22.]
PDF434-232-040
Information pertaining to primary-only voters, when disclosable.
(1) Pursuant to RCW 29A.08.720, personally identifiable information from the voter registration record is exempt from public inspection and copying until the voter is 18 years of age, or until 90 days prior to the next presidential primary, primary, or election the voter is eligible to participate in.
(2) Pursuant to RCW 29A.40.130, ballot issuance and return information for a primary-only voter, excluding the date of birth, gender, and address, is subject to public disclosure at the time of ballot issuance by the county auditor for a presidential primary or primary that the voter is eligible to participate in.
(3) Pursuant to RCW 29A.08.170, a person who signs up to register to vote must remain as a "future voter" as defined by RCW 29A.04.070 until such time as they will be eligible to vote in the next election. The voter registration information is exempt from public inspection and copying until they are 18 years of age or until 90 days prior to the next presidential primary, primary, or election the future voter is eligible to participate in.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 29A.04.611. WSR 24-16-019, § 434-232-040, filed 7/25/24, effective 8/25/24; WSR 24-03-053, § 434-232-040, filed 1/10/24, effective 2/10/24; WSR 22-10-041, § 434-232-040, filed 4/27/22, effective 5/28/22.]