Washington

Election Day: Polls are opening hours vary based on county. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, or until the last person in line at 8:00 p.m. has voted. 

Mail-in voters and Absentee voters may vote in person at the County Clerk’s office or by mail no sooner than 18 days before Election Day (90 days for military or overseas voters). Absentee ballots must be received by the County Clerk no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

All counties in Washington State vote by mail.  Your ballot is mailed to you at least 18 days before each election. Your ballot packet will include a ballot, a secrecy envelope or secrecy sleeve, and a return envelope with pre-paid postage. Follow the instructions that accompany your ballot. If you are a registered voter and do not receive your ballot, contact your county elections department. 

In addition, each county opens a voting center prior to each election. Each voting center is open during business hours beginning 18 days before the election date. Vote centers provide voter registration materials, ballots, provisional ballots, disability access voting units, sample ballots, instructions on how to properly vote the ballot, a ballot drop box, and a voters’ pamphlet.

You can locate your nearest voting center by logging into VoteWA or contacting your county’s elections department.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Washington if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Washington
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 30 days prior to the election

Convicted felons should contact their local election official to determine if they need to re-register to vote. In most cases felons are eligible to vote once they are no longer in prison or supervised by the DOC.

You are NOT eligible to vote in Washington if:

• You were disqualified from voting due to a court order
• You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You are able to pre-register:

• At the age of 16 or 17 as long as you will be 18 by the time the next election occurs

In Washington state, 16- and 17-year-olds can sign up as Future Voters and be automatically registered to vote when they become eligible. A 17-year-old voter who will be 18 by the November General Election can vote in the Primary.

How to register 

• Washington Municipal General Elections
  • Submit an Application: Received by Mon Oct 30, 2023
  • In-Person Request by Tue Nov 7, 2023 8:00PM
  • In Person: Election Day Registration & Voting Tue Nov 7, 2023

Washington residents may register online, in-person at the county election office, or by mail. Voter registration application forms and accompanying instruction can be found on the Secretary of State’s website. 

Voters seeking to register prior to the election must do so not less than 8 days prior to the date of election. 

A voter must establish voting residency address at least 30 days before the election day. Applicants are asked on the voter registration application to provide their residence address in Washington, sign an oath affirming that they meet the legal qualifications to register and vote, and to provide a document that bears their name and residence address (e.g., driver’s license, utility bill, pay stub, etc.).

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Washington Municipal General Elections

Ballot Request:

• Tue Nov 7, 2023
• Not Necessary: All Elections in this State are Vote-by-Mail

Ballot Return:

• Postmarked by Tue Nov 7, 2023
• In the Election Office by Tue Nov 7, 2023 8:00PM PST

Washington makes no distinction between absentee voting and early voting. All registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters who wish to vote early may do so by voting in person at an early voting center or by mail ballot. For more information on early voting centers, visit VoteWA.gov.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Washington you should provide one of the following:

• Washington Learner’s Permit
• Your Washington Driver’s License Number
• Your Washington ID Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting In-Person

Washington has all-mail elections. If you registered without a Washington Driver’s License, Washington State ID, or Social Security number, you will need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:

• Valid Tribal ID
• Valid Photo ID
• Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
• Paycheck that Shows your Current Name and Address
• Government Check
• Bank Statement
• Utility Bill

If a voter does not have one of these forms of identification, then their vote will be by provisional ballot. However, the ballot of a provisionally registered voter may not be counted until the voter provides a driver’s license number, a state identification card number, or the last four digits of a social security number that matches the information maintained by the Washington department of licensing or the social security administration, or until the voter provides alternate identification. The identification must be provided no later than the day before certification of the primary or election. 

If a voter votes by mail, they will not need to present an ID.

Moving Within the Same County

A registered voter can update their address by appearing in person before the county auditor, or at a voting center or other location designated by the county auditor, no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election. The voter may also update their address by submitting a voter registration form or by submitting information to the department of licensing, the health benefit exchange, or an agency that has implemented automatic voter registration, to their new county auditor no later than 8 days before the election day.

If the voter has missed the deadline, the voter may contact the county auditor, and vote according to his or her previous address.

Moving Between Counties

The voter should update his or her address 8 days before election day, i.e. January 31, 2022 or earlier with the Secretary of State or the county auditor. The voter must update his or her address by submitting an updated voter registration application. 

If the voter has missed the deadline, the voter may contact the county auditor, and vote according to his or her previous address. 

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form though ID is not required:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form though ID is not required:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Registering and Requesting an Absentee Ballot

Military and overseas citizens can register to vote by fax or mail or can register to vote online by logging onto the Washington Secretary of State’s My Vote tool. Military and overseas citizens can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), also known as Standard Form 76, to register to vote and to request a special absentee ballot.  Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) Washington-specific FPCA page for details on using the FPCA. 

Military and overseas voters are exempt from the regular voter registration deadlines. The last day to register and request a ballot is Election Day. Even if you are not registered, you may still vote and send in a ballot because your signature on the declaration attests to your eligibility and constitutes registration.  

Receiving an Absentee Ballot

Military and overseas citizens can receive voting materials by fax, email, or postal service. Military and overseas voters may qualify to receive a ballot as early as 90 days before the election. Contact your county elections department to:

• Request a ballot or a replacement ballot;
• Change how you receive your ballot (for example, by email instead of postal mail); or
• Update your voter registration record (for example, update your mailing address).

If you wish to use the fax or email options, you must indicate this on your FPCA. Instructions for doing so are found on the FVAP’s Washington-specific FPCA page.

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot

Military and overseas citizens can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) if they are concerned with receiving their printed ballot and returning it by the 8:00 p.m. Election Day deadline.  Ballots must be returned by the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline if sent by fax, or if sent by mail, post marked by Election Day and received by the county election office by the 20th day after the General Election. The FWAB can be used to register to vote. If you are using the FWAB to register to vote, it must be received by the registration deadline listed in the “Federal Election Deadlines” chart..

You can use the FWAB to vote in federal, state, and local elections, including ballot measures. For specific instructions, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Washington-specific FWAB page.

If you were convicted of a felony in Washington State, your right to vote is provisionally restored as long as you are not under the authority (in prison or on community custody) of the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). Once your right is restored, you must re-register to vote in order to receive a ballot.

If you have questions about your status with Washington State DOC, you can call (800) 430-9674. For more information about voting with a felony conviction, please visit here.