Wash. Rev. Code § 28A.230.150

Current through 2024

Section 28A.230.150 - Temperance and Good Citizenship Day-Aids in programming-Voter registration-Report

(1) On January 16th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16th falls on a nonschool day, there shall be observed within each public school "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day." Annually the state superintendent of public instruction shall duly prepare and publish for circulation among the teachers of the state a program for use on such day embodying topics pertinent thereto and may from year to year designate particular laws for special observance.

(2) Each year on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," social studies teachers must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors. This event is part of the future voter program. Teachers must make voter sign up and registration available to all students.

(3) County auditors may, as resources allow, help coordinate elements of the future voter program, and participate in voter registration events for students on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day."

(4) On each temperance and good citizenship day all students who will be eighteen years of age or older by the time of the next general election will be given the opportunity to register to vote online in the classroom. Paper registration must also be made available in the classroom. Students who do not possess a state identicard or driver's license must be provided a paper registration form. The event must include adequate time for students to complete the registration process in class.

(5) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the secretary of state, must update and distribute youth voter registration materials annually, by December 1st, for eligible students to register to vote at school. Electronic notification of the availability of the materials must be distributed to high school principals and secondary social studies and history teachers.

(6) The superintendent of public instruction must consult with the secretary of state to provide registration methods that enable the electronic collection of information on the number of students who registered to vote on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," with the goal of achieving at least fifty thousand new voter registrations for seventeen and eighteen year olds annually, beginning in January 2020.

(7) Beginning March 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the superintendent of public instruction must report on yearly progress toward the goal established in *subsection (5) of this section, including the number of seventeen and eighteen year olds registered to vote by county and recommendations for increasing youth voter registration, to the governor and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.

(8) For the purposes of this section:

(a) "Future voter program" refers to the information that may be collected by a number of processes about a future voter. Information that is otherwise disclosable under chapter 29A.08 RCW cannot be disclosed on the future voter until the person reaches age eighteen, except for the purpose of processing and delivering ballots.

(b) "Sign up" means the act of providing information relevant to eventual official voter registration, prior to such time that he or she will be eighteen years of age by the next election.

RCW 28A.230.150

Amended by 2018 c 109,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2019.

1969 ex.s. c 223 § 28A.02.090. Prior: (i) 1923 c 76 § 1; RRS § 4901-1. (ii) 1923 c 76 § 2; RRS § 4901-2. Formerly RCW 28A.02.090, 28.02.090, and 28.02.095.

*Reviser's note: The reference to subsection (5) appears to be erroneous. Reference to subsection (6) was apparently intended.

Findings-Intent-Effective date- 2018 c 109 : See notes following RCW 29A.08.170.