wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5902 > Original Bill
In order to vote in any primary, special election, or general election, a person who is not registered to vote in Washington must:
Submit a registration application that is received by an election official no later than eight days before the day of the primary, special election, or general election. For purposes of this subsection (1)(a), "received" means: (i) Being physically received by an election official by the close of business of the required deadline; or (ii) for applications received online or electronically, by midnight, of the required deadline; or
Register in person at a county auditor's office, the division of elections if in a separate location from the county auditor's office, a voting center, a student engagement hub, or other location designated by the county auditor no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary, special election if the county is conducting an election, or general election.
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In order to change a residence address for voting in any primary, special election, or general election, a person who is already registered to vote in Washington may update his or her registration by:
Submitting an address change using a registration application or making notification via any non-in-person method that is received by election officials no later than eight days before the day of the primary, special election, or general election; or
Appearing in person, at a county auditor's office, the division of elections if in a separate location from the county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor, no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary, special election if the county is conducting an election, or general election to be in effect for that primary, special election if the county is conducting an election, or general election.
A registered voter who fails to update his or her residential address by this deadline may vote according to his or her previous registration address.
To register or update a voting address in person at a county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor, a person must appear in person at a county auditor's office, a voting center, or other location designated by the county auditor at a time when the facility is open and complete the voter registration application or form approved by the secretary of state, providing the information required by RCW 29A.08.010.
A registered voter who changes residence from one address to another may transfer the voter's registration to the new address in one of the following ways:
Sending a county auditor a request stating both the voter's present address and the address from which the voter was last registered received by an election official by the eighth day prior to a primary or election;
Appearing in person before a county auditor, or at a voting center or other location designated by the county auditor, and making such a request up until 8:00 p.m. on the day of the primary or election;
Telephoning or emailing a county auditor to update the voter's registration address by the eighth day prior to a primary or election;
Submitting a voter registration application received by an election official by the eighth day prior to a primary or election;
Submitting information to the department of licensing and received by an election official by the eighth day prior to a primary or election;
Submitting voter registration information through the health benefit exchange and received by an election official by the eighth day prior to a primary or election; or
Submitting information to an agency designated under RCW 29A.08.365 and received by an election official by the eighth day prior to a primary or election once automatic voter registration is implemented at the agency.
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For persons age eighteen years and older registering under RCW 29A.08.355(1), an application is considered complete only if it contains the information required by RCW 29A.08.010 and other information as required by the secretary of state. The applicant is considered to be registered to vote as of the original date of issuance or renewal or date of change of address of an enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard issued under RCW 46.20.202 or change of address for an existing enhanced driver's license or enhanced identicard pursuant to RCW 46.20.205.
For persons sixteen or seventeen years of age registering under RCW 29A.08.355(2), an application is considered complete only if it contains the information required by RCW 29A.08.010 and other information as required by the secretary of state. The applicant is considered to be registered to vote as of the date set forth in RCW 29A.08.110(1).
The information must be transmitted daily to the secretary of state.
If the information shows no name change or change of residence or mailing address for an existing voter registration, the auditor may choose to send the voter an acknowledgment notice.
If the information is an application for new registration , the auditor shall send an automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice package within 60 days after the receipt of an application. Any mailing address provided shall be used only for mail delivery purposes, and not for precinct assignment or residency purposes.
If the information indicates a residential address change, the auditor shall send an acknowledgment notice as required by RCW 29A.08.030.
An auditor may use other means to communicate with potential and registered voters such as, but not limited to, email, phone, or text messaging. The alternate form of communication must not be in lieu of the mail requirements. If the voter responds by email, phone, or text message, the mailed notice is not required. The auditor shall act in compliance with all voter notification processes established in federal law.
If an application is not complete, the auditor shall promptly mail a verification notice to the applicant. The verification notice must require the applicant to provide the missing information. If the applicant provides the required information within forty-five days, the applicant must be registered to vote. The applicant must not be placed on the official list of registered voters until the application is complete.
If the prospective registration applicant responds to the automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice and declines to register to vote or the information provided by the department of licensing does not indicate citizenship, the information must not be included on the list of registered voters.
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For new registrants who decline registration in a reply that is received by the auditor within 15 days from the date of mailing of the automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice package, the voter registration record shall be removed from the list of registered voters, and the person is deemed to have never registered to vote.
If the reply declining registration is received after the deadline, the auditor shall cancel the voter's registration.
The department of licensing is prohibited from sharing data files used by the secretary of state to certify voters registered through the automated process outlined in RCW 29A.08.355 with any federal agency, or state agency other than the secretary of state. Personal information supplied for the purposes of obtaining a driver's license or identicard is exempt from public inspection pursuant to RCW 42.56.230.
The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Verification notice" means a notice sent by the county auditor or secretary of state to a voter registration applicant and is used to verify or collect information about the applicant in order to complete the registration. The verification notice must be designed to include a postage prepaid, preaddressed return form by which the applicant may verify or send information.
"Acknowledgment notice" means a notice sent by nonforwardable mail by the county auditor or secretary of state to a registered voter to acknowledge a voter registration transaction or an automatic voter registration transaction, which can include initial registration, residential address change, or reactivation of an inactive registration, identifying the registrant's precinct and containing such other information as may be required by the secretary of state. An acknowledgment notice may be a voter registration card.
"Automatic voter registration acknowledgment notice package" means a package of information sent by nonforwardable mail by the county auditor, to a registered voter who utilized the automatic voter registration process at the department of licensing, to acknowledge a voter registration . The package must include:
A postage prepaid, preaddressed return form by which the individual may decline to be registered to vote or decline the update;
A statement explaining that the person has become registered to vote or signed up to register to vote, as appropriate, setting forth the qualifications to vote, stating that if the individual does not meet the qualifications to vote, the person shall return the notice and affirmatively decline in writing to register to vote, and that if the person wishes to cancel the voter registration at any time, that the person may contact their county auditor to do so;
Instructions regarding how an individual can obtain more information about the notice and assistance in the individual's preferred language, including languages as set forth in RCW 29A.08.270;
An acknowledgment notice; and
Other information required by the secretary of state.
"Identification notice" means a notice sent to a provisionally registered voter to confirm the applicant's identity.
"Confirmation notice" means a notice sent to a registered voter by first-class forwardable mail at the address indicated on the voter's permanent registration record and to any other address at which the county auditor or secretary of state could reasonably expect mail to be received by the voter in order to confirm the voter's residence address. The confirmation notice must be designed to include a postage prepaid, preaddressed return form by which the registrant may verify the address information.