Summary
Federal & state elections on the ballot: US Senator, 10 US House members, and State Senate and House members
Ballot measures:
Washington Elections & Voting, part of the Secretary of State, oversees all Washington elections.
OnAir Post: Washington Votes in 2024
About
Contact
Email: Elections & Voting
Locations
Elections & Voting
520 Union Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Phone: 1-800-448-4881
Web Links
Registering to Vote
General Information
Who can register
To register in Washington you must:
- be a citizen of the United States;
- be at least 18 years old by Election Day;
- be a legal resident of Washington State, your county, and precinct for 30 days immediately preceding Election Day;
- not be disqualified from voting due to a court order; and
- not be under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction.
How to register
- Use our Register to Vote form below to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
Election Day registration
N/A
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Registration Status (form)
New Registration (form)
Voting
General Information
Voting as a Student
Learn more from Campus Vote Project about voting for students.
Overseas and Military Voting
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
If you are unable to cast your ballot due to a disability, you may assign a person of your choice, or two election officials, to enter the voting booth and record the votes your direct.
Federal law requires that every voting center have a voting system that is accessible to all individuals with disabilities. The law requires that the system provide individuals with disabilities the same opportunity to vote privately and independently as other voters. When possible, the county auditor must use voting centers that are accessible to all voters. In instances where a voting center does not meet accessibility standards, additional assistance must be available. The accessibility standards include:
- Written notice to voters assigned to an inaccessible voting center explaining the factors that make the voting center inaccessible. This notice must be provided no later than 30 days prior to an election.
- Reassignment to an accessible voting center upon advance request from a voter assigned to an inaccessible polling place.
- A disabled parking space.
- Signs identifying an accessible route of travel to the voting center if different than the primary route.
- An unobstructed route of travel to the voting center.
- Level, firm, stable and slip-resistant surfaces.
- An unobstructed area for voting.
- At least one voting booth with a maximum height of 30 inches and a minimum knee clearance of 27 inches.
- Sufficient lighting along the accessible route of travel and within the voting center.
Please contact your county elections department to learn about multilingual services that may be available at your voting site. Assistance may be provided by a person of the voter’s choice, or by two election officials of opposite political parties.
For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.
Early Voting
N/A
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
Absentee ballot rules
All Washington elections are held by mail-in ballot. You may apply for an absentee ballot if you need your ballot mailed someplace other than your usual mailing address
How to get Absentee ballot
- Use our Absentee Ballot Form below to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
- Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Sign and date where indicated.
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
- Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.
Absentee ballot application deadline
- In Person:
- By Mail: No specific deadline. We recommend applying at least 7 days before Election Day.
Absentee ballot submission deadline
Postmarked by Election Day and received 5 days after Election Day.
Absentee Ballot (form)
Elections Alert (Form)
Pollling Information
Polling Place Locator
Even though Washington is a vote by mail state, you can still vote in person on or before Election Day. Each county will have a voting center, which will be open during business hours beginning 18 days before the election and ending at 8pm on Election Day. You can find your voting center here.
Polling Place Hours
Washington is a mail in ballot state and does not have polling places. Your county election officials can provide information about voting centers/election offices.
Poll Worker Information
Washington has a vote by mail process and does not have traditional polling places that require staffing by poll workers. To find out how you can volunteer on Election Day, contact your local board of elections.
Elections & Voting
Secretary of State
Kim Wyman is Washington’s 15th Secretary of State. First elected in 2012, she is serving her second term and is only the second female Secretary of State in Washington’s history. Prior to being elected to this office, Kim served as Thurston County Elections Director for nearly a decade and was elected Thurston County Auditor from 2001-2013.
Secretary Wyman heads one of the most diverse offices in state government. Her responsibilities include overseeing elections, corporation and charity filings, the Washington State Library, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, the Washington State Archives, and a number of special programs including the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by public employees, the Address Confidentiality Program to protect survivors of domestic violence and stalking, and Legacy Washington, an oral history and exhibit program that tells the state’s most intriguing stories.
Secretary Wyman was selected as a Rodel Fellow by The Aspen Institute in 2013, serves as the Board Chair for the Jennifer Dunn Leadership Institute, co-chairs the Council of State Governments Overseas Voting Initiative and is also a past president of the Washington State Association of County Auditors. She serves on the boards of the Washington State Historical Society and TVW, the state’s public affairs television network, and is a member of the Lacey Rotary Club, taking part in numerous civic activities and non-profit work.
Download Secretary Wyman’s Bio
Download Secretary Wyman’s Short Bio
Download photo of Secretary Wyman (color)
Download photo of Secretary Wyman (black & white)
She has received numerous awards, including the YMCA Youth and Government Robert F. Utter Award, the Woman of Distinction Award from the Pacific Peaks Girl Scout Council and the Washington State University President’s Award for Leadership. During the 2014 legislative session, the Washington State Senate included Wyman in a resolution honoring women trailblazers in government.
Secretary Wyman promotes civility and civic engagement and is committed to connecting people with their government. Kim enjoys mentoring students and participates in leadership development organizations, including the Civic Learning Initiative, the American Legion Auxiliary’s Girls State program, and the YMCA Youth Legislature Program. She is an advocate for our service members and their families, our returning veterans and the Washington Youth Academy. She helps promote libraries – including the Washington State Library – and advocates for preservation and teaching of our history and traditions, teaching of civics education, and volunteerism in our communities.
Secretary Wyman is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Troy State University. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Leadership from City University, Seattle in 2015. Kim is a Certified Elections and Registration Administrator (CERA) from The Elections Center and Auburn University, and is a Washington State Certified Election Administrator.
Kim and her husband, John, came to Washington when he was assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis after being stationed in Ansbach, Germany. They reside in Thurston County with their two children.
