Voting, Step By Step
RCW 29A.08.140 — received eight days before, or in person through 8:00 p.m. on election day
Eight days. A person not registered in Washington submits an application received by an election official no later than eight days before the primary, special election, or general election. Online or electronic applications count if received by midnight of that day.
In person, through election day. A person may instead register in person at a county auditor's office, the division of elections, a voting center, a student engagement hub, or another designated location, no later than 8:00 p.m. on election day.
A new address. A registered voter may update a residence address by the same deadlines. One who does not may vote according to the previous registration address.
Absentee and early voting, and what a provisional ballot needs in order to be counted, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular person is registered is a question for the local election office.
Sources for this section (1)
- RCW 29A.08.140 — Voter registration deadlines
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Washington attorney.