After delaying a vote on the controversial bills for a day, the House passed a bill dealing with voter registration record-keeping on a 54-42 vote after a 2 1/2-hour debate on the floor that started Thursday evening. Since the bill was amended from the Senate version, it must go back to the upper chamber. After an additional 1 1/2-hour debate, it also passed an omnibus bill that standardizes election procedures.

The two bills are the crux of an election reform package introduced this session in response to the contested governor's race.

Republicans argued that the only way true election reform would result would be to tighten up the voter registration and voting process. Democrats said the burden to voters would be too great if forced to reregister or to produce a birth certificate or passport when registering to vote, among other Republican amendments.

"It is our goal to be sure that all voters have no interference in their freedom to exercise their right of suffrage," said Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, and chair of the House State Government, Operations & Accountability Committee.

But Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, said the only way to clean up the system is to purge the voting lists and have everyone reregister by Aug. 1, 2006.

"I think it's pretty clear from the news we hear - it seems on a daily, if not weekly, basis - that there's a problem with our voting system," he said.

Of the more than a dozen Republican amendments offered, a handful were accepted, including one that makes unqualified voter registration a class C felony.

Election reform has been a hot issue this session because of the contested governor's race, which dragged on for nearly eight weeks. Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, won by 129 votes after a hand recount of nearly 2.9 million ballots following the Nov. 2 election.

Republican opponent Dino Rossi - who led after the first two tallies - has sued, seeking to void the results. He has alleged widespread problems and voting irregularities. A trial on his lawsuit will begin May 23 in Wenatchee.

"We are here as representatives of the people," Hinkle said. "They have lost confidence in our system. I remember when we used to laugh about Florida. Now they talk about Washington state."

After passing the voter registration records bill, the House debated into the wee hours of Friday morning and finally passed another election bill. The measure, which passed 56-39, establishes standards for handling, counting and verifying absentee and provisional ballots.

"This bill makes major strides to strengthen the state's election process," said Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia.

Republicans complained the measure doesn't go far enough, especially regarding ID requirements at the polls.

House Democrats dramatically changed the Senate version that was voted on last month; the change that upset Republicans and Senate Democrats the most was the removal of a photo or voter card identification requirement at the polls.

The bill the House passed requires people to show identification at the polls - but not the photo-ID-only standard Republicans had urged. The version approved Friday morning allows people to show utility bills, bank statements or paychecks instead of a driver's license or other government-issued picture ID. Hunt noted this was the same standard recently adopted by the state of New Mexico.

"To get into some movies, to buy tobacco, to buy alcohol, to open a savings or checking account, to drive... you have to have a valid picture ID. I ask you, are these things that I've just mentioned more important than our voting rights?" said Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor.

Several Democrats said the photo ID standard didn't pass what Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Seattle, called "the grandma test" - referring to grandmothers who loved voting but lacked a driver's license, passport or other picture ID.

"It's $15 for a state ID, $97 for a passport," Hudgins said. "The right to vote is priceless."

The bill was amended on the House floor, and returns to the Senate for concurrence.

On Thursday, the state Senate passed a bill that makes it easier for counties to switch to all-mail voting. The measure passed on a 28-20 vote, but must now go back to the House because the Senate removed the House's provision that the switch be mandatory.

The bill is the second House election reform measure passed out of the Senate this week. On Tuesday, the upper chamber passed a bill standardizing county election procedures. The only election reform bill awaiting action in the Senate is a House bill moving up the primary-election date by four weeks.

On Wednesday night, the House passed three noncontroversial election reform bills that have already cleared the Senate, including one requiring a paper record on all voting devices.

The primary date bill is expected to come to a Senate vote on Friday, said Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, the main architect of the election reform package passed out of the House.

To meet a cutoff date, all bills must be passed out of opposite houses by Friday.

Negotiations have been going on behind the scenes on changes made by each chamber to the other's bills, but if no agreement is reached, the bills could die before they reach Gregoire's desk. The regular session ends April 24.