WASHINGTON — A new bill making its way through the Washington state legislature could change how voter registration challenges are handled.
Currently, challenges to a person’s voter registration require filling out an online form with evidence. County auditors then review the challenge and set up an administrative hearing.
If House Bill 1916 is signed into law, voters would only be able to challenge others in the same county. The bill would also require more evidence for challenges and impose criminal penalties for submitting false information.
Pend Oreille County Auditor Marianne Nichols expressed concerns about the potential impact on smaller counties.
“In Pend Oreille County we are a small county. We have myself and a part-time person that helps with elections. Anything that adds extra on to it makes it difficult. We want things to be right we want things to be correct, but it needs to work for us as well,” Nichols said.
Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton highlighted another aspect of the bill, noting that it could prevent mass challenges used as harassment in previous elections.
“That is one part that this bill would have prevented. File individually, can’t file en masse. You need to have legitimate knowledge of that voter not residing at the address they claim to reside at,” Dalton said.
Both auditors agreed that parts of the bill are important for improving elections in Washington state. The bill now moves to the Senate for further review.
