Not less than thirty days before the first day for filing declarations of candidacy under RCW 29A.24.050 for legislative, judicial, county, city, town, or district office, where more than one position with the same name, district number, or title will be voted upon at the succeeding election, the filing officer shall designate the positions to be filled by number.

The positions so designated shall be dealt with as separate offices for all election purposes. With the exception of the office of justice of the supreme court, the position numbers shall be assigned, whenever possible, to reflect the position numbers that were used to designate the same positions at the last full-term election for those offices.