Young Democrats of Washington

Youth of Washington Creating Change

Register to Vote

Voter registration volunteer

Registration Requirements

To register to vote in the state of Washington, you must be:

  • A citizen of the United States
  • A legal resident of Washington state
  • At least 18 years old by election day
  • Not under the authority of the Department of Corrections
  • Not disqualified from voting due to a court order

In the state of Washington, you do not have to register by political party or declare political party membership to vote in the state’s regular primaries or general elections.

For more information, click here.

Ways to Register

You can register to vote in person, online, or by mail. The State of Washington is an all vote-by-mail state. All voters receive their ballots in the mail and can return their ballots by mail or at drop-boxes whose locations are announced in advance of each election.

Online

You can register to vote using MyVote. To register to vote using this online program, you must have either a valid Washington State Driver’s License, or State Identification (ID) Card.

To register online, click here.

In Person

You can register to vote in person at any Washington State Auditor’s Office location, or at any Washington State Department of Licensing office.

By Mail

To register by mail, fill out this form and a voter registration form will be mailed to you. You can also download and print this form, and mail it to your local Auditor’s Office. In addition, a registration form can be requested by calling your local Auditor’s Office.

Changing an Existing Voter Registration

Change of Address

If moving within the same county or moving to a new county, your new address must be reported to the Elections Department at least 29 days prior to the next election. If you register within 28 or less of the election, your voter registration will be held and processed after the election is certified. Depending on the election, certification is anywhere from 10 days after Election Day up to 3 weeks.

If you are not registered anywhere in the state and are registering for the first time, you may register in person up to 8 days prior to the election.

You can update your residency information or mailing address online with MyVote. If you do not have a Washington State driver license or ID, you can also update your address by mail or in person at your local Auditor’s Office.

Name Change

File a new registration using your new name, even if you are already registered to vote. Please notify your local Auditor’s Office of the change in person or by phone.

You can change your name online with MyVote if you have a Washington State driver license or ID in your new name. If you do not, you can also change your name by mail.

Cancel Your Voter Registration

Fill out this form and return it or mail it to your local Auditor’s Office.

Special Circumstances

Military or Overseas Voter Registration

You can follow the instructions here.

In The Address Confidentiality Program

You can follow the instructions here.

Restoring Civil Rights After a Felony Conviction

You can follow the instructions here.

Without a Home or Have a Non-Traditional Address

You can register using any method above. Washington state allows voters to use a shelter address, a description of a general location where they spend the night or a drawn map as a recorded address. The “residential” address determines what ballot the Elections office sends. Voters must also provide a mailing address, which can belong to a friend, relative, shelter or general delivery at a post office. If you use general delivery, you must have an ID to pick up your ballot.