The bill seeks to align Washington State's voting procedures for uniformed and overseas civilian voters with federal standards set by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. It introduces new definitions such as "covered voter," "military-overseas ballot," and "uniformed-service voter," while outlining the Secretary of State's responsibilities in implementing these standards. The legislation emphasizes the importance of ensuring voting rights for military personnel and overseas citizens, providing various methods for voter registration and ballot applications, including federal postcard applications and electronic transmission systems. It mandates timely ballot distribution and allows for the return of voted ballots via fax or email, while also ensuring that minor errors in voting documents do not invalidate submissions.

Additionally, the bill amends existing voting regulations by updating criteria for ballot validity when postmarks are missing or illegible, establishing that the date on the ballot declaration will determine validity. It removes the previous provision allowing the return of signed declarations and ballots via fax or email by 8:00 p.m. on election day. The bill introduces new sections that set expiration dates for certain provisions, clarifying the voting process and establishing a timeline for implementation. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance the voting experience for overseas and service voters while maintaining election integrity and security.

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