Washington SB 5892: Concerning protection of the voter registration database.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 5892
Chapter 213, Laws of 2026
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
VOTER REGISTRATION—CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 25, 2026
Passed by the Senate March 9, 2026
Yeas 30 Nays 19
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Passed by the House February 28, 2026
Yeas 57 Nays 36
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
the attached is SENATE BILL 5892 as
passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
hereon set forth.
SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary
Approved March 25, 2026 11:09 AM FILED
March 25, 2026
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to protecting the voter registration database; 1
amending RCW 42.56.425 and 29A.84.150; prescribing penalties; and 2
declaring an emergency.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 42.56.425 and 2023 c 404 s 4 are each amended to 5
read as follows:6
(1) The following information related to election security is 7
exempt from disclosure under this chapter:8
(a) The continuity of operations plan for election operations and 9
any security audits, security risk assessments, or security test 10
results, relating to physical security or cybersecurity of election 11
operations or infrastructure. These records are exempt from 12
disclosure in their entirety;13
(b) Those portions of records, manuals, or documentation 14
containing technical details and information regarding election 15
infrastructure, which include the systems, software, and networks 16
that support the election process, the public disclosure of which may 17
increase risk to the integrity of election operations or 18
infrastructure;19
(c) Voter signatures on ballot return envelopes, ballot 20
declarations, and signature correction forms, including the original 21
SENATE BILL 5892
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Riccelli, Valdez, Bateman, Frame, Hasegawa, Liias,
Nobles, Pedersen, Slatter, and C. Wilson; by request of Secretary of
State
Prefiled 12/16/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.
p. 1 SB 5892.SL

documents, copies, and electronic images; and a voter's phone number 1
and email address contained on ballot return envelopes, ballot 2
declarations, or signature correction forms. The secretary of state, 3
by rule, may authorize in-person inspection of unredacted ballot 4
return envelopes, ballot declarations, and signature correction forms 5
in accordance with RCW 29A.04.260;6
(d) Records regarding the infrastructure of a private entity 7
submitted to elections officials are exempt from disclosure for a 8
period of 25 years after the creation of the record when accompanied 9
by an express statement that the record contains information about 10
the private entity's infrastructure and public disclosure may 11
increase risk to the integrity of election operations or 12
infrastructure; and13
(e) Voted ballots, voted ballot images, copies of voted ballots, 14
photographs of voted ballots, facsimile images of voted ballots, or 15
cast vote records of voted ballots, starting at the time of ballot 16
return from the voter, during storage per RCW 29A.60.110, and through 17
destruction following any retention period or litigation.18
(2) The exemptions specified in subsection (1) of this section do 19
not include information or records pertaining to security breaches, 20
except as prohibited from disclosure under RCW 29A.12.200.21
(3) The exemptions specified in subsection (1) of this section do 22
not prohibit an audit authorized or required under Title 29A RCW from 23
being conducted.24
(4) Requests for records from or any existing reports generated 25
by the statewide voter registration database established under RCW 26
29A.08.105 must be submitted to and fulfilled by the secretary of 27
state. If a county elections office receives a request for records 28
from or any existing reports generated by the statewide voter 29
registration database established under RCW 29A.08.105, the county 30
elections office ((is)) shall not ((required to)) produce any records 31
in response to the request, but shall, by the deadline set forth in 32
RCW 42.56.520, direct the requestor to submit their request to the 33
secretary of state. A knowing violation of this subsection is a 34
violation of RCW 29A.84.150.35
Sec. 2. RCW 29A.84.150 and 2004 c 267 s 138 are each amended to 36
read as follows:37
(1) Any state or local election officer, or a designee, who has 38
access to any county or statewide voter registration database who 39
p. 2 SB 5892.SL

knowingly uses, discloses, or alters information in the database 1
inconsistent with the performance of his or her duties is guilty of a 2
class C felony, p