To register to vote in the State of Washington an individual must meet the following qualifications:
- Be a United States Citizen
- Be at least 18 years of age by the time of the election
- Be a legal resident of Washington state
- Not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
- Have your civil rights presently denied due to a felony conviction
In general, you must register at least 30 days in advance of an election to be eligible to vote in that election. If you are registering by mail by using the downloadable form your application must be postmarked by the 30-day cutoff or it will not become effective until after the election.
Can select party affiliation at the polls.
If you miss the 30-day deadline you must register in person at your county elections department no later than 15 days before the election. Contact your County Auditor for assistance and information.
You do not have to register by political party or declare political party membership to vote in the state’s regular primaries or general elections.
Can register to vote in person or obtain a mail-in application from:
- County election office
You can fill out an online voter registration request.
Mail completed forms to the Office of the Secretary of State.
Absentee Voting:
All but one county in Washington conduct elections by mail. If you live in a county that conducts elections by mail, you will automatically receive a ballot by mail if you are a registered voter. Ballots are mailed at least 18 days prior to the election. If you will be unable to vote and return a regular ballot, you may request a Special Absentee Ballot up to 90 days prior to the election. The request for an absentee ballot must be made to your County Auditor or elections department.
Pierce County is the only county that maintains poll sites. If you live in Pierce County, you can apply to receive an absentee ballot online and find more information here.
Absentee ballots must be signed, postmarked, or delivered to the county election officer on or before Election Day.
For more election and voter information you can contact the Washington State Secretary of State’ Office.
