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Washington’s Primary Election Day is just around the corner. It’s on August 4 – the first Tuesday of the month.
KIRO 7 has compiled your ultimate guide for this election cycle.
Key dates
July 17: Voting begins, deadline for all counties to mail out ballots
July 27: Last day for online and mailed registrations or updates to be received
August 4: Primary Election Day
- Register or update information by 8 p.m.
- Vote in person or drop ballot at ballot box by 8 p.m.
- Mailed ballot must be postmarked by this day
August 18: Results are certified by County Canvassing Boards
August 21: Last day for the Secretary of State to certify results
Drop boxes and voting centers
There are 573 drop boxes and 57 voting centers in Washington.
During the voting window, most drop boxes are open 24/7. All drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voting centers vary by location.
To find the nearest drop box or voting center on a map, click here.
You can also view a full list of drop box locations here.
Remember: You don’t need a stamp for your ballot.
What’s on the ballot?
Interested in reading up on candidates and ballot measures? Click here for the 2026 Election Voters’ Guide.
There are a total of 688 races on the Primary Election ballot this year:
- 10 U.S. Congressional
- 122 State Legislature
- 4 Supreme Court
- 268 County
- 3 City
- 273 Precinct Officers
- 8 Other local positions
The above list doesn’t include races or candidates deemed elected or advanced to the General Election, which happens in November.
There are also 80 ballot measures:
- 38 Fire Districts
- 16 City
- 5 Hospital Districts
- 4 School Districts
- 2 County
- 15 Other local
Registering to vote in WA
There are three ways to register in the state. It’s easy and secure to register online, by mail with a paper form, or at a county elections office.
You can check your registration at VoteWA.gov.
To register to vote in the State of Washington, you must be:
- A citizen of the United States
- A legal resident of Washington State
- At least 18 years old by election day
What’s the difference between the Primary Election and the General Election?
In primary elections, a party selects a candidate for a General Election.
Washington has a ‘top two’ primary process. Each candidate is allowed to list a party “preference” on the ballot, and all candidates are listed on the same ballot. The two candidates who receive the most votes move on to the General Election, regardless of their party.
In general elections, you vote for federal, state, and local officials.
In odd-numbered years, general elections for electing local officials are also called municipal elections because there are no federal or state officials being elected.
Every four years, the General Election is also a Presidential Election because that is the set term in the U.S. Constitution.
