Washington

Open your Washington ballot

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Local guides in Washington

• Seattle

Key dates

• In-person voting: Fri, Oct 16 to Tue, Nov 3King County vote centers: Renton, Elections headquarters, 919 SW Grady Way; Bellevue College, Building U, Gary Locke Ballroom, 3000 Landerholm Cir SE; Federal Way, Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center Banquet Hall, 650 SW Campus Dr; Kenmore City Hall, 18120 68th Ave NE; Kent, Green River College-Kent Campus, Rooms 282 and 283, 417 Ramsay Way; UW Seattle, Student Engagement Hub, Room 160 (Lyceum) and Room 145, 4001 E Stevens Way NE; Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, Floor 1, 600 4th Ave. All seven open October 31, 10 AM to 4 PM; November 2, 8:30 AM to 6 PM; November 3, 8:30 AM to 8 PM. Renton also opens weekdays October 14 to 23, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and October 26 to 30, 8:30 AM to 6 PM. Centers offer registration, replacement ballots and accessible voting. Check the live county page before leaving.
• Last day to register online: Mon, Oct 26Register or update your address online at VoteWA.gov by Monday, October 26. The Secretary of State: 'Online and mail registrations must be received 8 days before Election Day.'
• Last day to register by mail: Mon, Oct 26A paper registration form must be received by your county elections office by Monday, October 26. Don't mail one in the final week; go in person instead.
• Last day to register in person: Tue, Nov 3You can register in person at your county elections office or any voting center in your county 'during business hours and any time before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day,' November 3, and vote on the spot. King County: Elections headquarters, 919 SW Grady Way, Renton (open 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Day), or any King County Vote Center.
• Mail ballot deadline: Tue, Nov 3Drop boxes and voting centers: 8:00 PM PT. Mail: must be postmarked by November 3.
  • official ballot drop box (any drop box in your county; open 24/7 until exactly 8:00 PM on Nov 3; King County has 100, open since Oct 15)
  • mail (USPS), no stamp needed; must be postmarked by Nov 3, so mail more than a week early
  • any voting center in your county during its hours, until 8:00 PM on Nov 3
  • your county elections office (King County: 919 SW Grady Way, Renton)
• Election Day: Tue, Nov 3Polls close at 8 PM. Drop boxes close at '8 p.m. sharp' on Election Day (King County). If you are inside a voting center or in its line at 8:00 PM you can still register and vote. Don't plan on 7:58.

How voting works in Washington

Every registered voter gets a ballot in the mail. Sign the envelope and put it in an official drop box by 8:00 PM on Election Day, or mail it (no stamp needed) more than a week early so it's postmarked by Election Day.

Where to vote

• Find where to vote
• Find a ballot drop box
• Track your mail ballot
• Check your registration
• See official sample ballots

What to bring

No ID needed for most voters.

• Mail ballot: no ID. Your signature on the envelope is your identification.
• Registering (online, by mail or in person): your Washington driver's license, permit or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number (voters' pamphlet, page 5).
• Voting in person at a voting center: state law (RCW 29A.40.160) says you either sign the ballot declaration or show photo ID such as a driver's license, state ID, student ID, tribal ID or employer ID. Bringing one speeds things up.

No ID? If you vote in person and can't show ID, you sign the ballot declaration instead, or you're issued a provisional ballot that counts once your signature is matched to your registration. For the mail ballot almost everyone uses, no ID is needed at all.