Upcoming Elections and Registration Deadlines
Register to Vote You can register to vote online, or printout a registration form, on the Secretary of State's website. September 7: State certification of Primary Election October 3: Overseas and military ballots mailed for November 2 General Election October 4: Deadline for mail and online voter registrations and transfers for General Election October 13: Ballots available for General Election October 15: Ballots mailed for General Election November 2: General Election For a complete election calendar go to the Secretary of State's site VOTER RESOURCES (See also Voter's Toolkit page)
What is a Top 2 Primary? The Washington Top 2 Primary allows voters to choose among all candidates running for each office. Voters do not have to declare a party affiliation to vote in the primary. Candidates for partisan office may state a preference for a political party, which is listed on the ballot. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Primary Election qualify for the General Election. Candidates must also receive at least 1% of the votes cast in that race to advance to the General Election. What does the candidate’s “party preference” mean in a Top 2 Primary? Each candidate for partisan office may state a political party that he or she prefers. A candidate’s preference does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate.Questions We Are Frequently
Asked About Voting, Registration and Ballots Have you moved or changed your name?
To be eligible to vote, you should change your voter registration record no later than 30 days prior to the election. This can be done on line through the Secretary of State’s website. You can register in person up to one week before the election. Contact your county auditor. Not registered to vote in Washington State? Voters never before registered in Washington State can register up to 8 days before an election. You may register if you are 17 years old but will turn 18 on or before Election Day. How do I change my
party preference? Voters in Washington do not have to declare a party
affiliation to vote. The candidates on
the ballot may state a preference for a political party. The preference stated is at the discretion of
the candidate, not any particular organization. What if I don’t know where my precinct is? Pierce County
is the one county in Washington that maintains polling places. To find yours, contact the Pierce County Auditor. The remaining counties conduct their elections by
mail. If you have not received your
ballot one week before the election, contact your county
auditor immediately. Each county
is required to have drop-off points for mail-in ballots. Find the location in your county by
contacting your county auditor. As a registered voter, what do I have to do if I want to vote by mail in Pierce County? If you live in Pierce County (offers both poll site voting and vote-by-mail or "absentee" voting), you'll need to request an absentee ballot from your county elections officials. You may choose to request an absentee ballot for a single election or to receive absentee ballots permanently. When are ballots mailed out to voters in the other 38 counties? What do I do if my mail-in ballot doesn't arrive in the mail?
I am going to be on vacation at election time, how can I get an absentee ballot? Pierce County residents need to request an absentee ballot. Mail-in ballots may also be requested ahead of the normal mailing time that is approximately 2 weeks before the election. All absentee ballot requests need to be made through your county auditor. Must I always return my mail-in or absentee ballot by mail? Accessible voting
In a vote-by-mail elections environment, all registered voters will receive a ballot in the mail 20 days prior to the each election that they are eligible to cast a vote. Voters with disabilities will have the opportunity to cast a private and independent ballot at an accessible voting center. The equipment at these locations provides audio and visual technology which allows voters with limited vision and physical disabilities to vote independently. Contact your county auditor for places and times. I am on active duty in the military. How can I get my ballot so I can vote in this election?
Even if you are not sure in which state you are registered to vote, you can still vote. Contact the Overseas Vote Foundation, an organization that facilitates voter participation in federal elections for all Americans whose voting program falls under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, namely, overseas American citizens, U.S. State Department employees, and active duty uniformed service members and their accompanying families living in the states or overseas. I am a United States citizen working overseas. How can I get my ballot so I can vote in this election?
Even if you are not sure in which state you are registered to vote, you can still vote. Contact the Overseas Vote Foundation, an organization that facilitates voter participation in federal elections for all Americans whose voting program falls under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, namely, overseas American citizens, State Department employees, and active duty uniformed service members and their accompanying families.What are my rights as a convicted felon? If you were convicted in federal court or a state court outside Washington, and you are no longer in prison, your right to vote is restored automatically. If you were convicted in Washington, you have paid all your legal financial obligations (LFOs) and you are no longer under the authority of the Department of Corrections, your right to vote is restored automatically. If you were convicted in Washington and have not completed paying your legal financial obligations (LFOs) but are no longer under the authority of the Department of Corrections, your right to vote is restored. However, if you fail to make three LFO payments in a calendar year, and the court determines that you have intentionally failed to comply with your financial obligations, the court may revoke your right to vote. You can regain the right to vote again when you can prove you are making a good faith effort to pay, or when you fully pay off your LFOs. For more information see: Life as an Offender - Release. I am student living away from home while I am enrolled in school. Which address do I use on my voter registration form? If I use my home address on my voter registration, how can I get my ballot?
The choice is yours. Many college students live at home during the summer months and move back to university during the school year. If you choose your home address, you will receive a ballot that has candidates and issues from your hometown. If you choose your college address, you will get a ballot with candidates and issues that impact your college community. You may change the address on your voter registration record as many times as you would like, but address changes must be made at least 30 days before an election in order to take effect for that election. When it comes to making arrangements for getting your ballot so you can actually vote, what you do depends on whether you are registered to vote in a county that votes by mail or votes at the polls. If the county votes at the polls, you should probably contact the county auditor to request an absentee ballot be sent to you. If the county votes by mail, you have a choice of contacting the county auditor (they can mail your ballot to a temporary address) or having a family member forward the ballot to you when it arrives. Click here for mail-in, in-person and online voter registration information. |
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