If you’ve never considered what goes into a statewide election, you might be surprised at how detailed it gets! Along with the basics of Washington state law, which remain largely consistent from election to election, in every election cycle there are updates to the what and the where of voting in Washington state. It’s good information to have, particularly when voting, and mail-in voting, is such a hot topic in the news.
The Secretary of State's Website And VoteWA.gov
The Secretary of State’s office is responsible for Washington state’s elections, and their website is an absolute wealth of resources for all election-related questions. In addition, every county has their own elections offices, where the actual ballots are processed – you can find yours by searching your county name and elections office. Many, if not all, offer tours if you’re really interested in learning more about how ballots are processed once they’re received.
The other major resource to know in Washington is VoteWA.gov. This is the state’s voting portal that allows you to verify and update your voting information, as well as track your ballot all the way from it being mailed to you to being received and processed by the elections office. If there are any issues with your ballot, this is a great way to ensure that those are dealt with as quickly as possible.
Federal Election Updates
This year, things are a little bit different than they have been in the past. The Secretary of State’s office has updates on the federal challenges to vote by mail and voting, and how they affect Washington voters, so that’s a good first step if you have questions.
When To Vote
The Secretary of State’s office provides a timeline of legally-mandated dates for all elections. For the August primary, ballots will be mailed out and voting centers opened on July 17th. The cutoff for online and mailed voter registrations is July 27th. August 4th is the deadline for in-person voter registration and updates, and it is also the deadline for voting; ballots must be in a drop box by 8:00 PM. We do not recommend waiting until the last day to post your ballot.
How To Return Your Ballot
Washington defaults to vote by mail. We have one of the oldest vote-by-mail systems in the country, and it works well, with good security. Your ballot will be mailed to the address you registered with the Elections Division, and you can return it to an election office, a drop box or by mail. If you choose to mail your ballot, you do not need postage. However, there is a new policy at the USPS and a case before the Supreme Court that make delays in receiving mailed ballots very likely and may result in rejection; we are recommending using a drop box to return your ballot unless you vote extremely early.
If you choose to return your ballot through a drop box, it does not need to be in your voting district. You can find the statewide list of drop boxes for the current election here. Ballot boxes do get extremely busy, particularly in the last day or so of an election. The sooner you can turn in your ballot, the better.
If you prefer to vote in person, the law requires at least one polling place per county. You can find that information here. (The simplest way is to select your county, then Voting Centers; they will be the gold dots, while drop box locations are the green dots.) You do not need to bring your mailed ballot to vote in person; polling places are equipped with the ballots for each district in that county. Please note that not all counties have multiple polling places and they are generally in the largest cities in the county.
If you vote more than once, the voter registration database is set to flag that you have already voted a ballot; if you need to re-vote due to a mistake or other issue, contact your county's elections office to request a replacement ballot instead. Your first ballot received will be the one counted; your second will be discarded.
Accessible Voting
If you are a voter with a disability that requires accommodation to be able to vote, there are a lot of resources and options on this page.
How (and When) To Register
Washington allows you to register online or register by mail, but your registration must be received at least 8 days before an election (including the primary). After that cutoff, you may register in person up to Election Day, and you will need to vote in-person at that time.
If you register by mail, the registration form is available in many different languages at the link above.
Other Tips
- Washington state law restores voting rights to felons who are not currently serving a sentence of total confinement, but you must re-register to vote.
- Washington state allows other people to return ballots on behalf of voters. In some states, this is considered ballot stuffing, but it is entirely legal in Washington, and can be helpful for voters with disabilities or complex work schedules.
- Fixing minor errors on a ballot is called “curing” a ballot. It is legal to do, and the Elections Office will inform you if yours needs curing.