wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 5723 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that Washington state voter turnout in even-numbered years is demonstrably higher and more diverse than voter turnout in odd-numbered years. The legislature recognizes that every credible academic study examining election timing for localities in the United States has concluded that holding elections in even-numbered years results in greater voter participation. With this act, the legislature intends to give cities and towns the freedom to choose their election timing for the first time in more than half a century.
This section shall not apply to:
a. Elections for the recall of any elective public officer;
b. Public utility districts, conservation districts, or district elections at which the ownership of property within those districts is a prerequisite to voting, all of which elections shall be held at the times prescribed in the laws specifically applicable thereto;
c. Consolidation proposals as provided for in RCW 28A.315.235 and nonhigh capital fund aid proposals as provided for in chapter 28A.540 RCW; and
d. Special flood control districts consisting of three or more counties.
The county auditor, as ex officio supervisor of elections, upon request in the form of a resolution of the governing body of a city, town, or district, presented to the auditor prior to the proposed election date, shall call a special election in such city, town, or district, and for the purpose of such special election he or she may combine, unite, or divide precincts. Such a special election shall be held on one of the following dates as decided by the governing body:
The second Tuesday in February;
The fourth Tuesday in April;
The day of the primary election as specified by RCW 29A.04.311; or
The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
A resolution calling for a special election on a date set forth in subsection (2)(a) and (b) of this section must be presented to the county auditor at least sixty days prior to the election date. A resolution calling for a special election on a date set forth in subsection (2)(c) of this section must be presented to the county auditor no later than the Friday immediately before the first day of regular candidate filing. A resolution calling for a special election on a date set forth in subsection (2)(d) of this section must be presented to the county auditor no later than the day of the primary.
In addition to subsection (2)(a) through (d) of this section, a special election to validate an excess levy or bond issue may be called at any time to meet the needs resulting from fire, flood, earthquake, or other act of God, except that no special election may be held between the first day for candidates to file for public office and the last day to certify the returns of the general election other than as provided in subsection (2)(c) and (d) of this section. Such special election shall be conducted and notice thereof given in the manner provided by law.
This section shall supersede the provisions of any and all other statutes, whether general or special in nature, having different dates for such city, town, and district elections, the purpose of this section being to establish mandatory dates for holding elections, with the exception of subsection (6) of this section.
A city or town may choose to hold its regular elections in even-numbered years by providing notice to the county or counties in which it is located following either adoption of an ordinance or approval by the voters of an ordinance or charter amendment referred by its legislative body.
A city or town moving its regular elections to even-numbered years through adoption of an ordinance by its legislative body must hold two public hearings not less than 30 days apart to consider public input. A vote on final adoption of the ordinance may be taken only after at least 30 days have elapsed since the date on which the second of the two public hearings was held.
A city or town moving its regular elections to even-numbered years must transition from odd-numbered to even-numbered years by electing each position to one term that is one year shorter in duration than it would usually be. After conclusion of that term, beginning in an even-numbered year, elections for that city's or town's positions must be for their usual term lengths.
The ordinance adopted by the city or town or referred to voters for approval must specify the dates of the odd-numbered year general elections at which each of the offices being transitioned to even-numbered years are contested for shortened terms.
Ordinances or charter amendments enacted under this section must name and must include all the elected positions in the city or town resolving to switch to even-numbered years, except for any positions already elected in even-numbered years.
Cities required to hold elections biennially that switch to holding elections in even-numbered years remain required to hold elections biennially.
An ordinance or charter amendment adopted by the legislative body or qualified electors of a city or town to switch its elections to even-numbered years is not revocable.
An ordinance or charter amendment must be adopted by January 15th of an odd-numbered year for the city to begin transition under (b) of this subsection in that calendar year. If the city or town adopts its ordinance or charter amendment after January 15th of an odd-numbered year, the transition under (b) of this subsection cannot begin before the next odd-numbered year.
All regular elections in cities organized under the statutory commission form of government shall be held quadrennially in the odd-numbered years on the dates provided in RCW 29A.04.330, except for cities that are moving or have moved their regular elections to even-numbered years under the process allowed by RCW 29A.04.330.
The commissioners shall be nominated and elected at large. Their terms shall be for four years, unless the city is transitioning its regular elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330, and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280. However, at the next regular election of a city organized under a statutory commission form of government, the terms of office of commissioners shall occur with the person who is elected as a commissioner receiving the least number of votes being elected to a two-year term of office and the other two persons who are elected being elected to four-year terms of office. Thereafter, commissioners shall be elected to four-year terms of office.
Vacancies on a commission shall occur and shall be filled as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW.
If the majority of the votes cast at a special election for organization on the council-manager plan favor the plan, the city or town shall elect the council required under the council-manager plan in number according to its population at the next municipal general election. However, special elections shall be held to nominate and elect the new city councilmembers at the next primary and general election held in an even-numbered year if the next municipal general election is more than one year after the date of the election at which the voters approved the council-manager plan, unless the city or town resolves to move its regularly scheduled elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330, in which case it shall hold regular elections rather than special elections. The staggering of terms of office shall occur at the election when the new councilmembers are elected, where the simple majority of the persons elected as councilmembers receiving the greatest numbers of votes shall be elected to four-year terms of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or three-year terms of office if the election is a special election held in an even-numbered year, and the remainder of the persons elected as councilmembers shall be elected to two-year terms of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or one-year terms of office if the election is a special election held in an even-numbered year. The initial councilmembers shall take office immediately when they are elected and qualified, but the lengths of their terms of office shall be calculated from the first day in January in the year following the election.
General municipal elections in second‑class cities shall be held biennially in the odd-numbered years and shall be subject to general election law, unless a second-class city has chosen to hold its general municipal elections in even-numbered years under the process provided for in RCW 29A.04.330.
The terms of office of the mayor, city attorney, clerk, and treasurer shall be four years and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280, unless the second-class city is transitioning its general municipal elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330: PROVIDED, That if the offices of city attorney, clerk, and treasurer are made appointive, the city attorney, clerk, and treasurer shall not be appointed for a definite term: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the term of the elected treasurer shall not commence in the same biennium in which the term of the mayor commences, nor in which the terms of the city attorney and clerk commence if they are elected.
Council positions shall be numbered in each second‑class city so that council position seven has a two-year term of office and council positions one through six shall each have four-year terms of office. Each councilmember shall remain in office until a successor is elected and qualified and assumes office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280.
In its discretion the council of a second‑class city may divide the city by ordinance, into a convenient number of wards, not exceeding six, fix the boundaries of the wards, and change the ward boundaries from time to time and as provided in RCW 29A.76.010. No change in the boundaries of any ward shall be made within one hundred twenty days next before the date of a general municipal election, nor within twenty months after the wards have been established or altered unless pursuant to RCW 29A.92.040 or 29A.92.110. However, if a boundary change results in one ward being represented by more councilmembers than the number to which it is entitled, those having the shortest unexpired terms shall be assigned by the council to wards where there is a vacancy, and the councilmembers so assigned shall be deemed to be residents of the wards to which they are assigned for purposes of determining whether those positions are vacant.
Whenever such city is so divided into wards, the city council shall designate by ordinance the number of councilmembers to be elected from each ward, apportioning the same in proportion to the population of the wards. Thereafter the councilmembers so designated shall be elected by the voters resident in such ward, or by general vote of the whole city as may be designated in such ordinance. Council position seven shall not be associated with a ward and the person elected to that position may reside anywhere in the city and voters throughout the city may vote at a primary to nominate candidates for position seven, when a primary is necessary, and at a general election to elect the person to council position seven. Additional territory that is added to the city shall, by act of the council, be annexed to contiguous wards without affecting the right to redistrict at the expiration of twenty months after last previous division. The removal of a councilmember from the ward for which he or she was elected shall create a vacancy in such office.
Wards shall be redrawn as provided in chapter 29A.76 RCW. Wards shall be used as follows: (1) Only a resident of the ward may be a candidate for, or hold office as, a councilmember of the ward; and (2) only voters of the ward may vote at a primary to nominate candidates for a councilmember of the ward. Voters of the entire city may vote at the general election to elect a councilmember of a ward, unless the city had prior to January 1, 1994, limited the voting in the general election for any or all council positions to only voters residing within the ward associated with the council positions. If a city had so limited the voting in the general election to only voters residing within the ward, then the city shall be authorized to continue to do so. The elections for the remaining council position or council positions that are not associated with a ward shall be conducted as if the wards did not exist.
All general municipal elections in towns shall be held biennially in the odd-numbered years as provided in RCW 29A.04.330, except in towns that are moving or have moved their regular elections to even-numbered years under the process allowed by RCW 29A.04.330. The term of office of the mayor and treasurer shall be four years and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280, unless the town is transitioning its general municipal elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330: PROVIDED, That the term of the treasurer shall not commence in the same biennium in which the term of the mayor commences. Councilmembers shall be elected for four year terms, unless the town is transitioning its general municipal elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330, and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280; three at one election and two at the next succeeding biennial election.
When a majority of the legislative body of an unclassified city determines that it would serve the best interests and general welfare of such municipality to change the election procedures of such city to the procedures specified in this section, such legislative body may, by resolution, declare its intention to adopt such procedures for the city. Such resolution must be adopted at least one hundred eighty days before the general municipal election at which the new election procedures are implemented. Within ten days after the passage of the resolution, the legislative body shall cause it to be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation within the city.
All general municipal elections in an unclassified city adopting a resolution under subsection (1) of this section shall be held biennially as provided in RCW 29A.04.330 and shall be held in accordance with the general election laws of the state. An unclassified city may choose to hold its general municipal elections in even-numbered years by following the process in RCW 29A.04.330 but remains obligated to comply with the requirements of this section.
The term of the treasurer shall not commence in the same biennium in which the term of the mayor commences. Candidates for the city council shall run for specific council positions. The staggering of terms of city officers shall be established at the first election, where the simple majority of the persons elected as councilmembers receiving the greatest numbers of votes shall be elected to four-year terms of office and the remainder of the persons elected as councilmembers and the treasurer shall be elected to two-year terms of office. Thereafter, all elected city officers shall be elected for four-year terms and until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280.
The first election of officers where required for reorganization under a different general plan of government newly adopted in a manner provided in RCW 35A.02.020, 35A.02.030, 35A.06.030, or 35A.06.060, as now or hereafter amended, shall be at the next general municipal election if one is to be held more than ninety days but not more than one hundred eighty days after certification of a reorganization ordinance or resolution, or otherwise at a special election to be held for that purpose in accordance with RCW 29A.04.330, unless the city or town resolves to move its regularly scheduled elections to even-numbered years as allowed by RCW 29A.04.330, in which case it shall hold regular elections rather than special elections. In the event that the first election of officers is to be held at a general municipal election, such election shall be preceded by a primary election pursuant to RCW 29A.52.210 and 29A.04.311. In the event that the first election of all officers is to be held at a special election rather than at a general election, and notwithstanding any provisions of any other law to the contrary, such special election shall be preceded by a primary election to be held on a date authorized by RCW 29A.04.321, and the persons nominated at that primary election shall be voted upon at the next succeeding special election that is authorized by RCW 29A.04.321: PROVIDED, That in the event the ordinances calling for reclassification or reclassification and reorganization under the provisions of this title have been filed with the secretary of state pursuant to RCW 35A.02.040 for a special election in an even-numbered year at least ninety days prior to a state general election then the election of new officers shall be concurrent with the state primary and general election and shall be conducted as set forth in general election law.
Upon reorganization, candidates for all offices shall file or be nominated for and successful candidates shall be elected to specific council positions. The initial terms of office for those elected at a first election of all officers shall be as follows: (1) A simple majority of the persons who are elected as councilmembers receiving the greatest numbers of votes and the mayor in a city with a mayor-council plan of government shall be elected to four-year terms of office, if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or three-year terms of office, if the election is held in an even-numbered year except in the case of special elections in an even-numbered year, when terms are three years; and (2) the other persons who are elected as councilmembers shall be elected to two-year terms of office, if the election is held in an odd-numbered year, or one-year terms of office, if the election is held in an even-numbered year except in the case of special elections in an even-numbered year, when terms are one year. The newly elected officials shall take office immediately when they are elected and qualified, but the length of their terms of office shall be calculated from the first day of January in the year following the election. Thereafter, each person elected as a councilmember or mayor in a city with a mayor-council plan of government shall be elected to a four-year term of office. Each councilmember and mayor in a city with a mayor-council plan of government shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified and assumes office as provided in RCW 29A.60.280.
The former officers shall, upon the election and qualification of new officers, deliver to the proper officers of the reorganized noncharter code city all books of record, documents and papers in their possession belonging to such municipal corporation before the reorganization thereof.
This act may be known and cited as the Washington cities' and towns' freedom to choose even-numbered elections act.