Voting has begun in Washington state for the Nov. 3 midterm election, with over 5.1 million registered voters casting ballots. The election includes races for all 98 seats in the state House and 24 of 49 in the state Senate, as well as five of the nine state Supreme Court seats. All 10 congressional seats are also on the ballot.
The race for the 3rd District in southwest Washington has drawn national attention due to its potential impact on the political balance in 2027. The winner of the 4th District will succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, who is retiring.
Several counties began mailing ballots last week, ahead of the Oct. 16 deadline. Voters have until Oct. 26 to register or update their address online. After that date, registration can be done at a county election office or voting center, including on Election Day.
State and county election officers are encouraging voters to return ballots via designated drop boxes or voting centers. They are cautioning against relying on the U.S. Postal Service due to a recent rule change that does not guarantee ballots will be postmarked on the day they are mailed. Ballots should be mailed at least a week before Election Day to be counted. If mailed within a week of Nov. 3, voters are advised to request a manual postmark in person.
If ballots are not postmarked on or before Election Day, they will not be counted. More than 20,000 ballots cast in the August primary were rejected due to late postmarks.
Voters can sign up at VoteWA.gov to track their ballot and confirm it is received and counted.
In Snohomish County, where ballots went out Oct. 9, election officials have noted that the word “General” is misspelled on the return envelope. They have assured voters that the ballot is still valid and the typo does not affect processing or signature verification.
