Ballots for November’s general election are due to be mailed to voters Friday, Oct. 18. Voters need to submit their ballots to a drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, or postmarked by that day. Many counties, such as King, Thurston and Spokane, are ahead of the game and have already sent them out. Washington has been a vote-by-mail state since 2011.
Voters this year will weigh in on numerous issues, including preferences for U.S. President, U.S. Senator and congressional representatives as well as 12 statewide Washington races: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of public lands, insurance commissioner, auditor, treasurer and three state Supreme Court positions. State lawmakers in the House of Representatives and half of the state senators are also up for election this year.
Voters statewide will also be asked about four ballot initiatives: Initiative 2109 to repeal the state’s capital gains tax, I-2117 to repeal the state’s cap-and-invest program, I-2124 to make the Washington Cares program optional instead of mandatory and I-2066 to prohibit bans on natural gas usage.
Local races are on the ballot as well, with hundreds of county commissioners, district judges and local measures on the ballot. Seattle will decide on a special election for a city council seat and a transportation levy on the ballot.
You can check out the Cascade PBS Voter Guide to learn more about the candidates and issues. To check your ballot status, you can look at the voter portal at the Washington Secretary of State’s website. If you don’t receive your ballot by mail, you can contact your county elections office. If you haven’t yet registered to vote or need to change your registration, you can do it online or through the mail by Oct. 28, or in person at your local county elections office by election day, Nov. 5.