Featured Inquiry (01/01/07)

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Question

Is there a definition of "resident" for election purposes in state law?

Answer

RCW 29A.04.151, which defines "residence" for purposes of the election laws, provides that residence for purposes of registering and voting means a person's permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode. This definition also applies to eligibility to run for office. So a person who maintains his or her permanent residence outside a city or county is not eligible to run for elective office in the city or county respectively.

Sometimes the facts make it difficult to determine if a person actually lives in one place or another. For example, a person may temporarily live in a house outside the city limits while they attends school, works on a job, or while their house is being remodeled. In these circumstances, the person is deemed to actually live where their permanent residence is as long as it is their intent to return to that residence to live once the temporary situation has ended.