For the Reporter
Secretary of State Kim Wyman is proposing voter pre-registration for 17-year-olds as part of high school history and civics classes and events coordinated by the 39 county election offices.
The legislation, HB2707/SB6340, was introduced in both chambers Tuesday with bipartisan support.
“We are excited at the prospect of expanding our outreach to young people and hope they will become lifelong voters and engage in community life,” Wyman said. “We certainly want and need their voices to be heard.”
The prime sponsors are Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, and Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, with members from all four caucuses signing on.
“I’m happy to work with Secretary Wyman to help this common-sense idea become law,” Bergquist said. “My bipartisan bill to make pre-registration available to both 16- and 17-year-olds stalled in the Senate last year, and I’m hopeful that this new legislation, with the Secretary’s support, will make it all the way to Gov. Inslee’s desk.”
Sen. Fain, the majority floor leader, said, “Every generation has the opportunity and the responsibility to be involved in electing leaders and making important policy decisions for the future.
“Higher voter participation means greater accountability for our elected officials. We should do all we can to promote a culture of voting and civic engagement among all citizens.”
Currently, 17½-year-olds are allowed to pre-register and then vote as soon as they turn 18.
The Wyman request legislation moves the pre-registration window earlier and adds an education and social component by partnering with teachers and county auditors to align the registration opportunity with annual “Temperance and Good Citizenship Day” in high schools throughout Washington. The annual good citizenship observance already is in state law.
Auditors could also sponsor other sign-up events, and 17-year-olds could submit registration forms by mail or online. The pending registration would be added to the state voter registration database when the voter turns 18.
“I’m optimistic about attracting many new voters,” said Wyman, who has been an election administrator at state and county level for most of her adult career.
“Rather than expecting a young person to register at some random time by themselves or tie it to getting a driver’s license long before they’re eligible to vote, here we link to civics education about why voting matters. We give students and their classmates an instant opportunity to fill out their registration.
“It’s convenient and there is an education component that I love.”
State Elections Director Lori Augino added: “We’re hopeful that connecting the act of registering to a civic engagement lesson will boost the likelihood of participation by our youngest voters.”
HB2707 is prime-sponsored in by Bergquist, himself a high school teacher. Other House co-sponsors include Reps. Melanie Stambaugh, Jeff Holy, Ruth Kagi, Eric Pettigrew, Hans Zeiger and Joe Fitzgibbon.
SB6340 is sponsored by Fain, R-Auburn, the Republican Floor Leader, and Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, deputy Democratic leader. Other sponsors are Senate President Pro Tem Pam Roach, R-rural Auburn, chair of the Senate Governmental Operations panel; and Sens. Bob Hasegawa, Tim Sheldon, Marko Liias, Ann Rivers, Jamie Pedersen, Mark Mullet and Steve Litzow.
