Section 434-230-045 - Candidate format(1) For each office or position, the names of all candidates shall be listed together. If the office is on the primary election ballot, no candidates skip the primary and advance directly to the general election.(2)(a) On the primary election ballot, candidates shall be listed in the order determined by lot.(b) On the general election ballot, the candidate who received the highest number of votes in the primary shall be listed first, and the candidate who received the second highest number of votes in the primary shall be listed second. If the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary received exactly the same number of votes, the order in which their names are listed on the general election ballot shall be determined by lot.(c) The political party that each candidate prefers is irrelevant to the order in which the candidates appear on the ballot.(3) Candidate names shall be printed in a type style and point size that can be read easily. If a candidate's name exceeds the space provided, the election official shall take whatever steps necessary to place the name on the ballot in a manner which is readable. These steps may include, but are not limited to, printing a smaller point size or different type style.(4) For partisan office: (a) If the candidate stated his or her preference for a political party on the declaration of candidacy, that preference shall be printed below or to the right of the candidate's name, with parentheses and the first letter of each word or abbreviation capitalized. Acronyms shall be printed in all capital letters with or without periods. For example: John Smith
(Prefers Example Party)
John Smith (Prefers ABC Party)
(b) If the candidate did not state his or her preference for a political party, that information shall be printed below or to the right of the candidate's name, with parentheses and the first letter of each word capitalized, as shown in the following example: John Smith
(States No Party Preference)
(c) The party preference line for each candidate may be in smaller point size or indented.(d) The same party preference information shall be printed on both primary and general election ballots.(5) If the office is nonpartisan, only the candidate's name shall appear. Neither "nonpartisan" nor "NP" shall be printed with each candidate's name.(6) The law does not allow nominations or endorsements by interest groups, political action committees, political parties, labor unions, editorial boards, or other private organizations to be printed on the ballot.Wash. Admin. Code § 434-230-045
Amended byWSR 14-06-040, filed 2/26/14, effective 3/29/2014Amended by WSR 17-12-090, Filed 6/6/2017, effective 7/7/2017Amended by WSR 19-01-102, Filed 12/18/2018, effective 1/18/2019Statutory Authority: RCW 29A.04.611. 08-15-052, § 434-230-045, filed 7/11/08, effective 8/11/08.