This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill on Tuesday that prohibits double voting in Washington elections by fixing an ambiguity in the state’s law.
Sponsored by Sen. Adrian Cortes, Senate Bill 6084 passed 47-1 in the Senate and 93-0 in the House, the Office of the Governor announced.
“If you live here, you vote here. You don’t get to vote anywhere else,” Cortes said, according to the Washington State Standard.
Bill follows 2022 case where double-voting conviction was overturned
In 2022, a Lewis County man was charged and found guilty of voting twice in the same election, once in Washington and once again in Oregon.
The conviction was later overturned by a state appeals court in a 2-1 decision because the definition of an election in Washington law was unclear. The court decided that there weren’t any overlapping candidates or issues on either ballot, meaning they were separate elections.
“Voting more than once in an election is an affront to everyone who participates in our democracy,” Governor Ferguson said. “This bill makes it clear that double voting is illegal. Those who try it will be held accountable.”
Senate Bill 6084 will take effect immediately. The Governor’s Office noted that voting more than once in an election is a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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