WA Primary Election 2024: Everything to know

article

Washington state's primary election is on Aug. 6, 2024. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Washington state's 2024 primary election takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 6, and features races for US senator and representatives; Washington governor, attorney general, secretary of state; and a variety of judicial and legislative races.

Keep reading to find important information on voting in Washington state, including how to register to vote, the vote by mail process and key dates you need to know.

Keep in mind, the August primary does not include the race for president/vice president because a separate primary election was held in March for those races. The next vote for president/vice president will be on the November general election.

Key dates you need to know

Primary election 2024

July 19: Ballots mailed out and Accessible Voting Units (AVUs) available at voting centers; beginning of 18-day voting period.

July 29: Online and mail registrations must be received 8 days before Election Day.

July 30: USPS recommends mailing voted ballots back at least one week before Election Day.

Aug. 6: Deadline for Washington State voter registration or updates (in person only).

Aug. 6: Primary election day

Register or update voter info in person by 8 p.m.
Mailed ballot must be postmarked by Aug. 6 to be counted.
Official drop boxes are open until 8 p.m.

Aug. 20: County Canvassing Boards certify results

Aug. 23: Last day for secretary of state to certify primary election results

General election 2024

Oct. 18: Ballots mailed out and AVUs available at voting centers; beginning of 18-day voting period.

Oct. 28: Online and mail registrations must be received 8 days before Election Day.

Nov. 5: Deadline for Washington State voter registration or updates (in person only).

Nov. 5: General Election Day

Register or update voter info in person by 8 p.m.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 to be counted.
Official drop boxes are open until 8 p.m.

How do I register to vote?

There are three ways to register to vote in Washington. The secretary of state allows some people to register to vote online. You can also register by mail with a paper form, or at a county elections office.

If you need to check your voter registration information, you can visit voter.votewa.gov and verify your personal information, including your address.

What's on my ballot?

You can check what is on your ballot for your specific area and learn more by verifying your voter registration on the state's website. That will offer a localized ballot preview of all the races in your area.

Voter guide by county

In the 2024 primary election, there are 654 total races in Washington, including 123 state legislature races, 92 local races, 10 U.S. congressional races, nine statewide executive races, one U.S. senate race, one supreme court race and four superior court races.

There are 94 local measures, including 54 fire, 20 city/town, six parks and recreation, three hospital, three school and nine other local measures.

Offices open for election in the state legislature: 25 of 49 Senate seats and all 98 House seats.

Where do I vote?

Your ballot materials are mailed to the address where you're registered to vote. Be sure to sign your return envelope. Then, drop your ballot at an official drop box or return by mail. No stamp is needed.

You can view a list of drop box locations online. The list will continue to be updated through Election Day.

This map includes statewide locations of ballot drop boxes and voting centers for the current election. View all available locations, or drill down by selecting a specific county and location type.

For more details on your county locations contact your local elections office, or for a personalized list sign in to VoteWA.gov.

Drop Box and Voting Center Locations - Elections & Voting - WA Secretary of State

How do I know our elections are secure?

The Washington secretary of state says, "We work hard to make sure your vote is safe and secure before, during, and after an election. Elections processes are fair and transparent. You can often observe these processes in person or via live video streams. Contact your local county elections office for more information."

The secretary of state's office provides information about how elections are kept secure before, during and after elections. This includes testing of voting systems, county review, paper ballots, signature checking, chain of custody, scanning and tabulation, post-election random batch audits, post-election risk-limiting audits and full ballot reconciliation.
Did you know?

A voter who turns 18 between the August primary and the November general election can vote in the primary, according to RCW 29A.08.170.

How do I learn more about candidates and offices?

A voters' pamphlet will be mailed to each household with a registered voter. You can also get more information from the secretary of state website.

You can also see who is running on a federal level, state level and for legislature online.

Where can I find data for the election?

Ballot Status Report The ballot status report, also known as the matchback report, contains ballots received, accepted, or challenged. Matching it back to the voter registration database reveals who has yet to vote. All voter information in the report is public information.
Ballot Return Statistics The ballot return statistics report breaks down the number and percentage of ballots received by each county elections department.
Voter Registration Database | Request Form Request a complete list of voters and publicly available information. The extract is large and may require particular expertise or tools to navigate.

Where can I find information and data about past elections?

Data & Research. This page contains links to publicly available election information for both current and historical data. Drilling down? Here's contact info for each county elections office.
Election Results and Voters' Pamphlets. Information on past elections, including results, voters' pamphlets, offices open for election, lists of candidates who filed, and other data.
Voter Registration Database | Request Form. Request a complete list of voters and publicly available information. The extract is large and may require particular expertise or tools to navigate.

Additional resources for voters

Forms for voters. Missing Signature Form, Signature Update Form, Voter Registration Forms and translated forms available.
Recounts. Frequently Asked Questions.
Top 2 primary: FAQs for voters. Washington voters do not register by party affiliation. There will be no party selection box on the envelope. You may vote for any candidate regardless of the candidate's party preference.
Guide to registering voters. Learn about guidelines and deadlines for hosting a registration drive.
Candidate resources. Forms, guides, and more.
Statewide standards on what is a vote. Voter Intent Manual.