2.28.18 

Suggested lead:  Washington is poised to be the latest state to authorize same-day voter registration.  Dan Frizzell has more.

Wrap (:60 total): 15 states and the District of Columbia do it, and the governor signs the bill as expected, we’ll join the club here in the Evergreen State.  If you’re otherwise qualified – U.S. citizen, 18 or over, Washington resident – you’ll be able to register and vote right up to the moment the polls close on election day.  That shaves a week off the current rules for in-person registration.  Representative Laurie Jinkins, a Tacoma Democrat, says she benefited from same-day registration as a college student in Wisconsin, the first state to adopt the practice.  She talked about the experience meant so much to her Tuesday in a speech on the House floor in Olympia.

JINKINS: “Voting young is habit-forming, and it’s contagious.  I have a ton of bad habits, but this is one really awesome habit and I am so happy I got it.  I think this is a habit that we should want our young people to have.” [:15]

Same-day voter registration was part of the House majority’s Access to Democracy initiative this year.  A sweeping Voter Rights Act, another bill in the package, also got a thumbs-up on Tuesday.  In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.