The bill seeks to enhance voting accessibility and security for uniformed and overseas civilian voters in Washington State by adopting national standards and aligning with federal law. It introduces new definitions for "covered voter," "military-overseas ballot," and "uniformed-service voter," and mandates the Secretary of State to implement an electronic transmission system for voter registration and ballot requests. The legislation emphasizes timely processing of military-overseas ballots, allowing voters to apply for and receive ballots through various electronic means, and establishes confidentiality provisions for voters' email addresses.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing election laws to clarify the signature verification process, allowing variations in signatures and establishing that the date on the ballot declaration will determine validity if a postmark is missing. It prohibits the invalidation of voting documents due to minor errors and eliminates notarization requirements. The county auditor is tasked with maintaining ballot secrecy and preparing a list of candidates and issues well in advance of elections. The bill also includes training requirements for personnel involved in signature verification and sets a structured timeline for implementation, while removing the option for overseas voters to return ballots via fax or email by the election deadline.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 29A.04.109, 29A.04.151, 29A.04.163, 29A.04.210, 29A.08.107, 29A.40.050, 29A.40.070, 29A.40.091, 29A.40.110