Although the United States presidential election is still a few months away, the Washington State primary elections, which will determine what candidates are on the ballot in November, are in just two days on Tuesday, Aug. 4, with ballots due at 8 p.m.
As the country is navigating voting during the coronavirus pandemic, Washington State was already one of only five states to offer elections entirely by mail. Ballots are sent in the mail to a voter’s registered address and can be submitted in the mail or local ballot boxes. If you are mailing your ballot, King County advises mailing ballots before election day so it can be postmarked in time for Aug. 4.
Although the deadline to register to vote by mail has already passed, you can still register to vote at a voting center and complete your ballot in person. This year, the voting centers are open in two locations, Seattle and Renton. The Century Link Field Event Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for voters on Saturday, August 1, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 3, and 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, August 4. Both locations will offer walk-in and curbside service, and to register, you need a Washington state driver’s license, state ID, or social security number.
This year, the primary election covers both congressional and state elections, with positions for mayors, county commissioners, district attorney, governor and a variety of other leadership positions by the district. Every ballot comes with a household General Election Voter’s Pamphlet to provide information on the measures and candidates. For additional information, a great source is VoteWA.gov, local newspapers and candidate websites.
