OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The Washington state Senate has passed a bill to charge electric car owners a $100 annual fee to compensate for the lack of gas taxes they pay.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the Camano Island Democrat who sponsored the bill, says while electric cars are good for the environment, they put the same wear and tear on the state's roads that gas vehicles do.

The same bill passed in the Senate last year but failed in the House.

Washington's gas tax stands at 37.5 cents per gallon, and is the state's largest source of transportation dollars.

The bill does not apply to hybrid vehicles or to those that don't exceed 35 mph.

The bill passed Saturday on a 31-16 vote and goes next to the House.
     
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

The last day for submitting a mail-in voter registration form or registering online for the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 10.

Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 10 or before. Online registration applications must be submitted before midnight on Oct. 10. Visit the Elections Department website at http://clarkvotes.org and click the Online Voter Registration button to register online electronically.

All changes of address by currently registered voters must also be submitted by Monday, October 10 in order to apply to the Nov. 8 General Election, if done by mail, online or by telephone.

Citizens who are not currently registered to vote anywhere in the state of Washington have an additional time period, running through Oct. 31 to register by appearing in person at the County Elections Department, 1408 Franklin Street, Vancouver.

A sample ballot listing all candidate races and ballots measures appearing on the Nov. 8 general election is now available on the Clark County Elections Department website at: http://clarkvotes.org.

On Aug. 22, the Clark County Elections Department was notified that the position of Commissioner, Position No. 2 in Clark County Fire Protection District No. 2 was vacant and had become vacant June 23. This position was not scheduled to appear on the ballot this year and no candidate filings were taken for that position during the normal candidate filing week.

Because this vacancy occurred prior to Aug. 16, the County Auditor is required to open a special three-day candidate filing period. All candidates who file will go directly to the Nov. 8 General election ballot and the candidate receiving the most votes in the General election will be deemed elected.

The Clark County Auditor's Office has established that the special filing period will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 29 and will end at 5 p.m. Aug. 31.. Anyone meeting the qualifications of the office and wishing to file for this office can do so during that time period. All candidate filings can be made in person or by mail at the Clark County Elections Department, 1408 Franklin Street, Vancouver. Any candidate filing by mail must arrive in the Elections Department no later than 5 p.m. Aug.