Democracy in Action
Effective January 1st, 2022, voter eligibility in Washington State was restored for all persons previously convicted of a felony offense who are not currently incarcerated by the department of corrections. People on probation or parole are eligible to vote. This change is the result of the passage of HB 1078.
First Step to Being a Voter: Register to Vote!
Eligibility
In order to register to vote in King County, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States of America
- Be a resident of the state of Washington (for at least the past 30 days)
- Be 18 years of age or older
- 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote through the state’s Future Voter Program , which allows their registration to be processed and held on file but is not activated until their 18th birthday
- Recent Change to State Law!️
17-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the time of the November general election may vote in a presidential or local primary
- Not be disqualified from voting due to a court order or currently incarcerated due to a felony conviction
- Recent Change to State Law!
Those who have recently been released from prison due to a felony conviction immediately have their right to vote restored, even if you are under community supervision, or on probation/parole. This does not mean that you are automatically registered to vote. You still must re-register to receive a ballot and vote.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, contact King County Elections, the Washington Secretary of State Elections Department, or the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Methods of Registration
- Register online at VOTE411.org - a complete voters guide with election deadline and registration info, candidate and ballot measure listings and more. This website is run by the LWVUS and covers the entire country. Local content is provided by the state and local leagues.
- Voter registration forms are available at most public libraries, public schools, and community service centers. You may also download and print forms in several languages.
- People with felony convictions are eligible to vote once they are released from jail. You can check your status with the ACLU's Can I vote online? assessment.
Second Step to Being a Voter: Receive and Fill Out your Ballot!
The Voter’s Pamphlet
You should receive a voter’s pamphlet in the mail approximately three weeks before election day. These paper booklets describe the candidates and measures on the ballot. For candidates, it will help you to understand their qualifications for office; for measures and initiatives, the voter’s pamphlet will describe what the measure is proposing, what voting “yes” or “no” means and will usually have an argument for and against the initiative. Other resources for educating yourself on candidates and ballot measures can be found on our Voter Resources tab.
Your Ballot
In Washington state, ballots are mailed three weeks prior to election day. You will receive your ballot in the mail. The ballot packet will include the following materials:
- Instructions for how to fill out and return your ballot
- A security sleeve
- A ballot
- A ballot return envelope
Make sure you follow the instructions for how to properly fill in the bubbles on your ballot that match your intended vote. If you make a mistake or your ballot is damaged in some way, you can always request a new one be mailed to you by contacting King County Elections or visiting their Renton office or a Vote Center in person, where they will print you a new ballot on the spot. Once you fill out your ballot, make sure to pull the perforated tab off the top, fold it up, slide it in the security sleeve (optional), and put it all in the ballot return envelope. The instructions are yours to keep. Seal the ballot return envelope, date it, and sign it (with the same signature that you used to register – if you registered through the DMV or online, it will use your driver’s license signature). It’s highly suggested that you also provide a phone number or email address in the space below your signature – this information is only used by King County Elections if there is an issue with your ballot or signature and helps them contact you faster than by mail.
Third Step to Being a Voter: Return your Ballot
There are two ways to return your ballot once it is sealed inside the return envelope: by dropping it in an official ballot drop box or mailing it back to King County Elections.
Ballot Drop Box
Ballot drop boxes are located throughout King County. A map of drop boxes is available on the King County Elections website here. Drop boxes are emptied nightly by trained King County Elections staff and transported to the King County Elections office in Renton. Ballots must be placed in a drop box by 8 p.m. on election day. A drop box is the most secure way to return your ballot, so it’s highly encouraged to use this method to make sure your ballot is returned on time and safely.
By Mail
In Washington state, ballot return envelopes include pre-paid postage – therefore, no stamp is needed! You are able to drop your completed and signed ballot in the outgoing mail and it will be taken to the King County Elections office by the USPS. It is important to note that if you return your ballot via mail, it must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on election day.
- Wait, what is a postmark? A postmark represents the date and time that the USPS (or other mailing agency) receives your ballot for processing to its next destination. It is not the day you put the ballot in the outgoing mail slot. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that, if you return your ballot through the mail, you do this no later than the Friday before election day to ensure it is postmarked correctly and arrives on time. You may also visit a USPS location in person and ask them to postmark your ballot on the spot.
Fourth Step to Being a Voter: Track your Ballot
After you return your ballot using one of the two methods described above, you can track it at www.votewa.gov or “My Voter Information” on the King County Elections website. It should take approximately three business days for your ballot to be processed and show as counted.
What if the tracker says there’s an issue with my ballot?
This typically happens if the signature on your ballot return envelope has been determined to not match the signature on your voter registration. If this happens, you’ll be contacted by King County Elections through the mail, where they will send you a signature correction form to fill out and return to “cure” or resolve your signature discrepancy. This form may be returned by mail, but must be received by King County Elections no later than15 days after election day. You may also scan and email the completed form to elections@kingcounty.gov. If you have more questions, you can always call the elections office or visit in person to understand why your signature was flagged.
Alternatively, you may visit “My Voter Information” on the King County Elections website to print out a copy of the signature correction form.
- Insider’s Tip! This is why it’s beneficial to include contact information on the outside of your ballot return envelope – King County Elections can get hold of you sooner to let you know there’s an issue with your ballot so that you may correct it.
If this happens to you often, that’s a sign it’s time to update your voter registration signature! You can do this by filling out a paper registration form and signing the form with your updated signature.
- Insider’s Tip! You can sign the registration form as many times/ways as you want, as long as they fit within the signature box. King County Elections will take a screenshot of the entire signature box and add each different version of your signature to your profile. In the future, the signature on your ballot return envelope will be compared to all signatures they have on file.
Alternative Methods of Registering and Voting
Vote411
Voters can also register online at www.VOTE411.org. This website is a complete voters guide with election deadline and registration information, candidate and ballot measure listings and more. This website is run by the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and covers the entire country. Local content is provided by the state (Washington) and local (Seattle-King County) leagues.
Military and Overseas Voters
For those who are in the military, live overseas, or frequently travel abroad, you may check the box on your registration form that says: “I am currently serving in the military” or “I live outside of the United States”. This places you in the “Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act” (UOCAVA) program, which means you have more time and flexibility to return your ballot. For more information, see the Secretary of State’s website page here.
Accessible Voting Units
Each Vote Center, including the King County Elections office in Renton, will have at least one Accessible Voting Unit (AVU) available for each election. These units help ensure that those who need assistance filling out their ballot can do so independently, privately, and confidently. The AVUs are touch-screen devices that allow voters who are visually impaired to either zoom in on the ballot or listen verbally to the options and mark their choices. The ballot is then printed and placed in a return envelope just like all other ballots. For more information, see the King County Elections website page here.
Online Ballot Marking Program
For voters who struggle with writing or muscular control, another option (in addition to the Accessible Voting Units mentioned above) is to fill in the bubbles of your ballot online, print it, and return it in a signed return envelope. For more information, see the King County Elections website page here. Note that any registered voter is able to use this program! Overseas and service voters may request to permanently receive their ballot using this program.
Witness Signatures
Similarly, if a voter struggles to sign their ballot return envelope, they may make a mark in the signature area of their envelope while having two people witness the marking of the envelope. Those two witnesses will sign in the appropriate area underneath the signature field to authenticate the identity of the person returning the ballot is the person registered under that name.
College Students and Seasonal Residents
As a student or seasonal resident (snowbird), you probably change your address more frequently than the average voter. Remember to update your voter registration every time you move. You can update your address online with VoteWA, by mail, or in person.
You can also establish a seasonal mailing address with King County Elections. Provide the first and last days you’ll receive mail at this address, and your county will send your ballot to this address each year between those dates.
Although your mailing address can be anywhere in the world, your residential address must remain in Washington State.
- Important Note! You may only vote in one county/state, and you may only vote once. Keep this in mind when deciding if you want to list your home, seasonal, or school address on your voter registration. Should you receive two ballots, vote only once.
Voters without a Residential Address
If you are experiencing homelessness or don't have a traditional residential address, you can still register to vote!
On your registration form, write the location where you live, such as a shelter, park, motor home, intersection or other identifiable location you consider your residence on your registration form. This location will be used to register you to vote as your residential address.
You must also provide a valid mailing address where you can receive ballots and election information. A mailing address can be a post office box, address of a friend or relative, shelter, or general delivery at a local post office.
- What’s the difference between a residential address and a mailing address? Your residential address must be where you live. This determines the issues and candidates that appear on your ballot. However, you can receive your elections mail at any valid mailing location you choose: a post office box, personal mailbox, college mailbox, or a military or out of state/country address. All elections-related materials, including your ballot, will be sent to the mailing address you provide.