The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has challenged the voter registrations of 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Betty Fletcher and her husband, Robert Fletcher.

The complaint, filed Thursday with King County Elections, contends the Fletchers improperly used the King County Administration Building as their home address and a federal courthouse several blocks away as a mailing address.

"This is not a trivial matter," said Bob Edelman, the foundation's election-reform project manager, noting that the Fletchers apparently used the business addresses to maintain personal privacy.

The Fletchers live in a legislative district different from those addresses, Edelman said, so they have been casting illegal votes. He said the couple could have applied for an unlisted address under the state Address Confidentiality Program.

But Judge Fletcher said through her office yesterday that her home is in the same legislative district as her registration address. Fletcher, who was appointed to the appeals court by former President Carter in 1979, said she thinks she is legally registered.

The Address Confidentiality Program is managed by the secretary of state in collaboration with local domestic-violence victims' advocates and the U.S. Postal Service for the purpose of protecting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Secretary of state spokeswoman Rebecca Podszus said she was not aware of the program being used by judges and said it "might not be the best way to protect them."

Bobbie Egan, spokeswoman for King County Elections, said a hearing will be held within 10 days on the foundation's challenge. The burden of proof is on the challenger to show that the voters are not legitimately registered.

Egan said officials are looking for the Fletchers' original registration cards to determine what address or addresses they registered under.

The county Administration Building, at Fourth Avenue and James Street in downtown Seattle, is used by King County as a voter-registration address for homeless persons. Some supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi last year objected to that practice, but Egan said no challenges have been filed.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com