EDITOR'S NOTE: This page is part of a comprehensive guide to state voting rights across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.
Washington has been a reliably Democratic state for years but November will mark the first time since the mid-1960s that voters will not elect a Republican as secretary of state and oversee elections. An appointed Democrat faces an independent in the general election. In recent years, the state has worked to expand voter access. The state instituted vote-by-mail for all voters in 2004, and lawmakers last year passed a measure to restore voting rights to felons.
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There were no cases of potential voter fraud reported in 2020.
If you were convicted of a felony in Washington State, another state, or in federal court, your right to vote will be restored automatically as long as you are not currently serving a sentence of total confinement in prison. A person with restored voting rights must register to vote.
Washington conducts its elections by mail and does not use polling places. To register online, a voter must provide a driver's license number, permit or ID. To register by mail or in person, a voter may provide the last four numbers of their Social Security number, or another document, such as a bill, bank statement or check, showing the voter's address.
Ballots are mailed out to registered voters 18 days before election day, and they must be postmarked or dropped off at a collection site by 8 p.m. on election day.
Military or overseas voters from Washington are exempt from the in-state registration deadlines and may register online and vote up to election day. Registering and voting online requires a state-issued ID.
Every registered voter in Washington receives a mail-in ballot.
The Washington Redistricting Commission is made up of two Democrats and two Republicans from the state Legislature, selected by each party's caucus in the House and Senate. The commission must draw the district lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Washingtonians. The most recent commission redrew maps in 2021, which have been challenged in court by civil rights groups that claim new boundaries dilute Latino votes in Central Washington. The maps will be used for 2022 elections due to a U.S. District Court judge's order while the lawsuits proceed.
Electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of a voting center, polling place or 25 feet from a ballot drop box for 18 days before the election until the end of election day. No one can block a polling place entrance. Violations are considered a misdemeanor.
