The bill amends RCW 29A.84.650 to make it unlawful to vote more than once in the same election in Washington or to vote in both Washington and another state in the same election. Under the amendment, intentionally voting or attempting to vote more than once in the same election is a class C felony, while reckless or negligent violations are class 1 civil infractions enforced under RCW 7.80.120. The act defines "election" to include any general, primary, or special election and defines "same election" as any elections that occur on the same election date, regardless of the candidates, offices, issues, or the dates ballots are mailed or returned. A special election held in conjunction with a general or primary election is expressly not treated as the "same election" for this section, so otherwise qualified voters may vote in both that special election and the general or primary election held on the same day. The act declares it abrogates the Washington Court of Appeals decision in State v. Padrta, No. 59737-3-II (Jan. 6, 2026), and includes an emergency clause so it takes effect immediately upon enactment. It was read in the Senate on January 13, 2026, passed the Senate on February 10, 2026, and passed the House on March 3, 2026. Affected parties include Washington voters (including those who might vote in another state), the Secretary of State (sponsor), prosecutors and courts, and the Legislative Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections. The text does not include the content of State v. Padrta, specific sentencing or fine amounts for the class C felony, or a definition of what it means for a special election to be "held in conjunction with" another election.

If enacted, the law would make it a class C felony to intentionally vote more than once in the same election in Washington or to vote in Washington and another state in the same election, while reckless or negligent double-voting would be treated as a class 1 civil infraction. Voters who might cast ballots in more than one jurisdiction face a new criminal risk for intentional conduct and a civil penalty risk for careless conduct; special elections held “in conjunction with” a general or primary election are explicitly allowed to be voted in on the same day without triggering the prohibition. The change takes effect immediately and was requested by the Secretary of State, so awareness and compliance expectations for voters are likely to rise quickly. Practical effects will fall most heavily on voters who participate in elections across state lines and on prosecutors and courts who must enforce the new felony and civil-infraction provisions, potentially increasing caseloads and enforcement costs, although the bill text does not allocate funding for those impacts. Important details are missing from the provided text—such as sentencing or fine ranges, how to determine when a special election is “held in conjunction with” another election, and the substance of the court decision being abrogated—so how aggressively the law will be applied in borderline cases is uncertain.