wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1918 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that the Washington state supreme court serves as the highest judicial authority in the state and must ensure justice for all Washingtonians. As the state's population and legal needs evolve, it is imperative that the court reflects the geographic diversity of Washington to ensure a broad and representative judicial perspective.
The legislature further finds that Article IV, section 3 of the Washington state Constitution provides that the supreme court justices shall be elected by voters statewide, ensuring that all Washingtonians have a voice in selecting the justices who serve them. However, this provision does not preclude the state from structuring judicial representation in a manner that promotes regional balance.
The legislature recognizes that, historically, the supreme court justices have disproportionately resided in certain urban areas, leaving eastern and central Washington underrepresented. To address this imbalance and enhance public trust in the judiciary, the legislature finds that a district-based residency system will provide fair regional representation while maintaining the integrity of the statewide election process.
Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to:
Establish nine supreme court judicial districts, with one supreme court justice drawn from each, and each representing a distinct region of Washington;
Require that each supreme court justice reside in the supreme court judicial district they represent at the time of their election and throughout their term; and
Require that at least three of the nine supreme court judicial districts consist exclusively of the portions of the state located east of the Cascade mountains.
By enacting these provisions, the legislature seeks to strengthen the connection between the judiciary and communities across Washington, enhance public confidence in the state's highest court, and ensure that all regions of the state have a voice in shaping the legal principles that govern Washington.
There shall be nine supreme court judicial districts in the state, with one supreme court justice drawn from each district:
District 1 shall consist of King county;
District 2 shall consist of Snohomish county;
District 3 shall consist of Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties;
District 4 shall consist of Pierce county;
District 5 shall consist of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston counties;
District 6 shall consist of Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties;
District 7 shall consist of Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Stevens counties;
District 8 shall consist of Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties; and
Each justice of the supreme court must be a resident of the supreme court judicial district for which the justice is selected or appointed for not less than one year at the time of election or appointment, and shall remain a resident of that district for the duration of the justice's term.
The first election of the justices of the supreme court pursuant to the district-based system provided in section 2 of this act shall be at the first general election held after the effective date of this section.
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The justices elected pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be classified by lot, so that:
Three justices shall hold their office for the term of two years;
Three justices shall hold their office for the term of four years; and
Three justices shall hold their office for the term of six years.
The lot shall be drawn by the justices who shall for that purpose assemble at the seat of government on the second Monday in January next succeeding their election, and they shall cause the result thereof to be certified to and filed with the secretary of state the same day.
The term of any supreme court justice in office prior to the certification of the lot drawing shall be deemed expired upon the certification, and justices elected in the first district-based election shall take the oath of office.
After the first district-based election, the terms of justices elected shall be six years from and after the second Monday in January next succeeding their election.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of a justice of the supreme court, the governor shall appoint a person who is a resident of the supreme court judicial district for which the vacancy occurs to hold the office until the election and qualification of a justice to fill the vacancy, which election shall take place at the next succeeding general election, and the justice so elected shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
This act takes effect January 1, 2026, if the proposed amendment to Article IV, section 3 of the state Constitution providing for supreme court judicial districts (House Joint Resolution No. . . . . (H-1231/25)) is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by the voters at the next general election. If the proposed amendment is not approved and ratified, this act is void in its entirety.