(1) The secretary of state shall prescribe the method of voter registration for each designated agency. The agency shall use either the state voter registration by mail form with a separate declination form for the applicant to indicate that he or she declines to register at this time, or the agency may use a separate form approved for use by the secretary of state.

     (2) The person providing service at the agency shall offer voter registration services to every client whenever he or she applies for service or assistance and with each renewal, recertification, or change of address. The person providing service shall give the applicant the same level of assistance with the voter registration application as is offered to fill out the agency's forms and documents, including information about age and citizenship requirements for voter registration.

     (3) The person providing service at the agency shall determine if the prospective applicant wants to register to vote or transfer his or her voter registration by asking the following question:


     "Do you want to register to vote or transfer your voter registration?"


     If the applicant chooses to register or transfer a registration, the service agent shall ask the following:


     (a) "Are you a United States citizen?"

     (b) "Are you or will you be eighteen years of age on or before the next election?"


     If the applicant answers in the affirmative to both questions, the agent shall then provide the applicant with a voter registration form and instructions and shall record that the applicant has requested to register to vote or transfer a voter registration. If the applicant answers in the negative to either question, the agent shall not provide the applicant with a voter registration form.

     (4) If an agency uses a computerized application process, it may, in consultation with the secretary of state, develop methods to capture simultaneously the information required for voter registration during a person's computerized application process.

     (5) Each designated agency shall provide for the voter registration application forms to be collected from each agency office at least once each week. The agency shall then forward the application forms to the secretary of state each week. The secretary of state shall forward the forms to the county in which the applicant has registered to vote no later than ten days after the date on which the forms were received by the secretary of state.

[2005 c 246 § 14; 2003 c 111 § 224. Prior: 2001 c 41 § 7; 1994 c 57 § 28. Formerly RCW 29.07.440.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2005 c 246: See note following RCW 10.64.140.

     Severability -- Effective date -- 1994 c 57: See notes following RCW 10.64.021.