Elections in King County
In the United States, elections are carried out by county auditors or election directors, who certify and report their individual results to the state election official (Secretary of State). In most counties in Washington, the elected county auditor is the local election official; however, in King County, we have our own dedicated Elections Department with an elected director. This is because King County has over 1.4 million registered voters – the largest number of vote-by-mail residents in the entire country! If you ever have questions about an election, you can contact the King County Elections Department using the following methods:
By phone (206) 296-VOTE (8683)
By email elections@kingcounty.gov
By fax (206) 296-0108
In person 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057
You may also follow and interact with King County Elections on social media to stay up to date on the latest election news and results:
What’s the difference between types of elections?
There are three main types of elections in Washington:
- A special election is held on the second Tuesday in February and/or the fourth Tuesday in April each year only if petitions have been filed for measures to be put to a public vote. Therefore, some counties may have a special election while others will not. These elections may be used to fill a candidate vacancy but are typically used to vote on ballot measures for local issues (ex: city, school district).
- A primary election is held, by Washington state law, on the first Tuesday in August each year. In these elections, offices on the ballot in the November general election will list those who filed for candidacy and will be presented to voters. Though there may be more than two candidates on the ballot, you may still only select one option.
- Note: there is currently a bill being proposed in the 2022 Legislative Session to change the date of the primary election to the third Tuesday in May (SB 5540)!
- A Presidential primary is held every four years, typically in March. These elections are held in the same manner as all others in Washington, with the added requirement of selecting a party on the outside of your ballot envelope.
- A general election is, by US law, always held on the second Tuesday in November each year. In Washington state, the two candidates (regardless of political party) who achieve the most votes in the primary election are on the ballot for the general election. State measures may also be voted upon if they have been filed. These are usually the elections that have the highest rate of participation.
- In odd years, the candidates and measures on your ballot will be local – county, city, school district, and special district offices and issues.
- In even years, the candidates and measures on your ballot will be federal and state – president, US senator and representative(s), Washington state senator(s) and representative(s), governor, and associated offices. If there are initiatives on your ballot, they will be issues that impact the entire state.
Conservation District Elections
Currently, conservation district elections are required by Washington state law to be held in the first quarter of the year and are not on the same ballot as the elections mentioned above. These elections are administered by the conservation districts themselves, and you must request a ballot be sent to you on the conservation district website. Currently, the King County Conservation District conducts its elections entirely online. Votes are submitted to the conservation district and the King County Elections office counts the votes and releases the results.
Note: there is currently a bill being proposed in the 2022 Legislative Session to change how Conservation District elections are carried out!
House Bill 1652 aims to allow local county election officials to be responsible for carrying out conservation district elections and incorporate them into one of the already-established elections (special, primary, or general). This will be left up to each county election official to determine what’s best for their county.
The League of Women Voters of Washington supports this bill – it will eliminate online voting and align all elections to be under the purview of the county elections office, ultimately increasing turnout and ensuring election security.
Please submit feedback in favor of this bill on the Washington legislature website here.