(1) On the day of any primary or general or special election, no person may, within a polling place, or in any public area within three hundred feet of any entrance to such polling place:

     (a) Suggest or persuade or attempt to suggest or persuade any voter to vote for or against any candidate or ballot measure;

     (b) Circulate cards or handbills of any kind;

     (c) Solicit signatures to any kind of petition; or

     (d) Engage in any practice which interferes with the freedom of voters to exercise their franchise or disrupts the administration of the polling place.

     (2) No person may obstruct the doors or entries to a building in which a polling place is located or prevent free access to and from any polling place. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or municipal law enforcement officer shall prevent such obstruction, and may arrest any person creating such obstruction.

     (3) No person may:

     (a) Except as provided in RCW 29A.44.050, remove any ballot from the polling place before the closing of the polls; or

     (b) Solicit any voter to show his or her ballot.

     (4) No person other than an inspector or judge of election may receive from any voter a voted ballot or deliver a blank ballot to such elector.

     (5) Any violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor, punishable to the same extent as a gross misdemeanor that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021, and the person convicted may be ordered to pay the costs of prosecution.

[2003 c 111 § 2121. Prior: 1991 c 81 § 20; 1990 c 59 § 75; 1984 c 35 § 1; 1983 1st ex.s. c 33 § 1; 1965 c 9 § 29.51.020; prior: (i) 1947 c 35 § 1, part; 1889 p 412 § 33, part; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 5298, part. (ii) 1895 c 156 § 7, part; 1889 p 409 § 22, part; Code 1881 § 3079, part; 1865 p 34 § 4, part; RRS § 5279, part. Formerly RCW 29.51.020]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 1991 c 81: See note following RCW 29A.84.540.

     Intent -- Effective date -- 1990 c 59: See notes following RCW 29A.04.013.