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RCW 42.12.010

Causes of vacancy.

Applied in 17 court decisions — leading case 91 Wash. 2d 767 - Janovich v. Herron (1979)

Most recently applied in 3 Wash. 3d 614 - In re Recall of Weyrich (August 2024)

1994 c 223 s 2; 1993 c 317 s 9; 1981 c 180 s 4; Code 1881 s 3063; 1866 p 28 s 2; RRS s 9950.

How often courts cite this section

1960198020002020202420
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5974-S2.SL) ***

Every elective office shall become vacant on the happening of any of the following events:

(1) The death of the incumbent;

(2) His or her resignation. A vacancy caused by resignation shall be deemed to occur upon the effective date of the resignation;

(3) His or her removal;

(4) Except as provided in RCW * 3.46.067 and 3.50.057, his or her ceasing to be a legally registered voter of the district, county, city, town, or other municipal or quasi municipal corporation from which he or she shall have been elected or appointed, including where applicable the council district, commissioner district, or ward from which he or she shall have been elected or appointed;

(5) His or her conviction of a felony, or of any offense involving a violation of his or her official oath;

(6) His or her refusal or neglect to take his or her oath of office, or to give or renew his or her official bond, or to deposit such oath or bond within the time prescribed by law;

(7) The decision of a competent tribunal declaring void his or her election or appointment; or

(8) Whenever a judgment shall be obtained against that incumbent for breach of the condition of his or her official bond.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.