All 2025 municipal elections in Washington will have a primary election, if necessary, on August 5th and a general election on November 4th. Contact your local elections office to learn more about if you have an election and what's on your ballot.
The upcoming election is a state primary. Click here for additional info, including party requirements and what's on the ballot.
Learn about all the options to vote in Washington to make a plan to vote that works for you!
Washington is a vote by mail state. This means that all registered voters will receive a mail-in ballot to the address on their voter registration. If you have moved you must update your registration.
Washington Elections Office Phone Number: (800) 448-4881
Whether you are registering to vote for the first time, or need to update your address, name or party affiliation - we've got you covered!
Not sure if you are eligible to vote due to a felony conviction?
Click here to learn more.
Absolutely! You can check your voter registration online on Washington’s elections office website here.
It can take several weeks. Most states send out voter registration cards within 5 to 7 weeks after receiving the registration. If you do not receive a registration card in the mail, contact your state election office to confirm you are registered. Find your state’s contact information in our How to Vote in Your State section on this page! In any event, you should verify your registration a week prior to the voter registration deadline in your state in case you need to fill out a new registration form or correct your form.
Elections take place all the time throughout the year, and odds are, you probably have an election coming up in your state! In addition to the presidential election and midterm elections, you have statewide, countywide and municipal elections that you can make your voice heard in. Make sure you know when your upcoming elections are so that you don’t miss a single one! Check out when your next election is here.
Your state provides an online ballot tracking system. You can track your ballot here!
YES you are able to register to vote at your student address. You should provide your official campus mailing address as well as the actual physical address of your on or off campus residence when registering to vote. You must have some sort of proof of address and residency that can be presented at your polling place (mail, a student ID, etc.). For more information, we suggest visiting your state’s elections office website. Remember: you can only register to vote and vote in one place, whether that is your student address or your home address!
YES, unhoused voters can register to vote and use their voice in Washington’s elections. Unhoused voters or voters without a permanent address may list a shelter address, street corner, or park as their address. For more information on voting while unhoused, visit our friends at the National Coalition for the Homeless.
YES. In this case you must register at the last address you had before you left the USA, or at the address to which you will return to when returning to the USA (you must present some indication of a present intent to return and live there – e.g. vehicle registration, driver’s license, property ownership, family, etc). If you have never had a permanent address in the United States but are a citizen you are allowed to register at an address you plan on moving to or an address where you currently have family living. Access more information on voting overseas here.
You may call the voting rights hotline at 866 687-8683, if informing another poll worker isn’t successful. They have lawyers ready to help you. Additionally, you can call the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice. You can also find Washington’s elections office here and contact them by phone at (360) 902-4180.
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Notice: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but your ballot might not count if it’s submitted late or with errors. So follow the directions below on how to vote early or absentee and make your vote count in Washington.
Washington is a vote-by-mail state. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters, meaning it has a one step process.
After you complete your ballot, be sure to return it ASAP!
Need your ballot sent to a different address? Apply here and follow the steps listed above. There is no set deadline but it is recommended that you apply at least seven days before Election Day. If you need to receive a replacement ballot in the week before the election, you may print your ballot using your online voter portal.
Remember to sign where indicated before returning your ballot.
After you complete your ballot, be sure to sign the secrecy sleeve on the ballot return envelope.
Be sure that your signature matches your signature on file with the state! If you registered online or at the DMV, check the signature on your license. If the signature does not match, your ballot could be tossed and will not count.
If you return your ballot by mail, your postage is prepaid.
You can also drop off your ballot in person at your local elections office, drop box, or early voting locations.
Anyone may return a ballot on your behalf.
Track your ballot by clicking here.
If you have an absentee ballot that you are not going to use, or you miss the deadline to return, you may go to your vote center and vote in person. You may be asked to use a provisional ballot.
Washington does offer voters a chance to address challenges to their ballot.
Your state has a cure period, which means you can “cure” a challenge to the signature on your ballot if it was done incorrectly. Your local election office is required to contact you and give you options to remedy your ballot. You have until the election certification process begins, which is usually 21 days after Election Day.
You may get a call from a number you do not recognize with a notification that you need to cure your ballot. Be sure to pick up so that you don’t miss your chance to make sure your vote counts.
Washington conducts their elections by mail. When voting by mail, voters do not need to provide any form of ID. Voters in Washington who choose to vote in person at a voter center will need to provide an acceptable photo ID or give their signature on a ballot declaration/provisional ballot. Valid forms of identification include;
Enter your address below to see what you can expect on Election Day.
Primary Type (D): Open
Primary Type (R): Open
The primary election process in Washington is a top-two primary. After you vote, the top two vote-getters on the ballot, regardless of their party, will move onto the general election.
Your state automatically registers people to vote at their address of record when they interact with certain state agencies. If you have moved, changed your name or want to add a political party selection, you must update your voter registration. Click here to check to see if you are registered to vote, and update your registration if needed.
You can register to vote and cast your ballot on Election Day at your polling place or local elections office. Bring a valid ID and proof of residence with you.
You can return your mail-in ballot to your early voting site.
You may vote early in person at any vote center in your county. You may also register to vote in person at vote centers through Election Day.
Some states have laws that specifically allow citizens to preregister at a certain age while others allow registration as long as you’re 18 by the next election. Preregistration means you’ll be automatically registered to vote on your 18th birthday without taking any additional steps.
In Washington, you can preregister to vote if you are 16. Register to vote today!
Some states even let you vote in their primaries at 17 if you’ll be 18 by the general election so you can participate in the whole process!
You can not vote in the Washington primaries if you are 18 by the next election.
