2023 primary elections guide: Here's how to vote in Washington state (2024)

Voter information and a guide to key races appearing on the primary election ballot in Washington state.

KING 5 Staff

Register to vote

Before you can vote in Washington state, you must register. Registration can be done in several ways: Online, by mail or in person.

To register online you'll need your Washington state driver's license or ID. Visit Votewa.gov and submit your information.

To register by mail, either print a voter registration form or request a registration form. Address the completed form to your county elections office address before mailing.

To register in person, visit your county election office.

To register to vote, you must be:

A citizen of the United States
A legal resident of Washington state
At least 18 years old by Election Day
Not disqualified from voting due to a court order
Not under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction.

Dates and deadlines

July 14: Start of 18-day voting period. Ballots are mailed out.

July 24: Online and mail registrations must be received at least eight days before Election Day. You can register to vote in person any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Aug. 1: Deadline for in-person voter registration or updates.

Aug. 1: Ballots must be dropped off at an official drop box by 8 p.m. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day.

Voting by mail

Washington has been a vote-by-mail state since 2011.

Registered voters do not need to request a ballot. Ballots are automatically mailed to the address the voter has registered.

Confirm your registration at VoteWA.gov.

Completed ballots are placed in a security envelope or sleeve.

The security envelope or sleeve is then put into a return envelope and signed. Ballots must be signed. Signatures are checked against voter registration records.

Ballots have pre-paid postage and are returned through the mail or at ballot drop boxes. If mailed, it must be postmarked by Election Day. The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots a week prior. Drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

RELATED: List of ballot drop boxes in Washington: Where to drop off your stamp-free ballot

Tracking your ballot

After dropping off or mailing a ballot, voters can track the status of their ballot by visiting VoteWA.gov.

Voters must sign in.

On the navigation bar, select "Ballot Status."

Information includes when the ballot was sent, when it was returned and its current status.

How ballots are processed

After a ballot is delivered, envelopes are scanned and marked as "received" in the state system.

They are sorted by precinct and district.

Signatures on ballots are checked against voter registration records. (Voters are contacted before processing if a signature is missing or doesn't match.)

Envelopes are opened and the security sleeve is removed.

Ballots are removed from the security sleeve.

Ballots are reviewed for scanning issues, then scanned and stored.

Key races

Local races will appear on your ballot during the 2023 primary election.

Here's a look at some of the key races in Washington state:

Seattle City Council

More than 40 people are running for Seattle City Council in a race that could reshape city politics as only three council members are running for reelection.

This year’s election is only for the seven district seats and does not include the two citywide seats held by Councilmember Sara Nelson and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda.

The council members trying to keep their seats this year are Tammy Morales (District 2), Dan Strauss (District 6) and Andrew Lewis (District 7).

Councilmembers Kshama Sawant (District 3), Alex Pedersen (District 4), Debora Juarez (District 5), and Lisa Herbold (District 1) are all not seeking reelection.

This will also be the first city council election since the recent redistricting.

King County Council

Neither King County Council District 4 or District 8 will have an incumbent candidate.

Jeanne Kohl-Welles announced early this year she would retire after more than 30 years in elected office. Kohl-Welles, who has represented District 4 since 2016, said in her announcement that “it’s time to pass the torch for others to get involved.”

Becka Johnson Poppe,Jorge L. Barón and Sarah Reyneveld are running to replace Kohl-Welles.

Joe McDermott also chose not to seek reelection for District 8. McDermott was elected to the council in 2010.

Those running to replace McDermott are Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon and GoodSpaceGuy.

Tacoma EMS levy

Tacoma voters will choose whether or not to raise the EMS levy back up to 50 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value in 2024 to further fund emergency medical services.

If approved, the levy could increase up to 6% annually - not exceeding the 50-cent rate from 2025-2029.

The levy fell to 32 cents due to higher property values since 2006.

Watch: KING 5's state election coverage

List of ballot drop boxes in western Washington
Where's my ballot? Here's how to track it as votes are counted