Voter Eligibility in Washington
Voters must meet all of the following requirements in order to register to vote:
U.S. Citizen
Having a green card or permanent residency status is not citizenship.Legal resident of Washington State
A person must establish a residential address in Washington at least 30 days before Election Day.At least 18 years old by Election Day
If a person is currently 17 but will be 18 years old by the date of the next election, they may register to vote. Starting in July 2019, 16- and 17-year-olds may sign up to become registered once they turn 18.Not disqualified from voting due to a court order
Only a Superior Court Judge can declare a person unable to vote due to mental incompetency. Do not assume that a person under guardianship is ineligible to vote.Not under the Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction
A person’s right to vote is restored once they are no longer in prison
or community custody (supervision, parole) with the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). Once the right to vote is restored, a person must re-register to vote.
Click on the image to download a copy.
How to Fill out the Paper Registration Form
The residential address must be in Washington. The residential address determines which races and measures will be on a voter’s ballot. The residential address may either be a traditional or non-traditional address.
A nontraditional address consists of a narrative description of a voter’s residence, and must provide enough detail to assign a precinct and
locate the voter to confirm their address. PO boxes may not be used as a residential address. The mailing address is where the ballot will be sent, and can be anywhere in the world.
2. Verify the person has answered both questions regarding qualifications.
3. If the person qualifies as a military or overseas voter, make sure they complete this section.
4. To complete this form, a person will need a Washington driver’s license, state ID number, or last 4 digits of their Social Security number. Applicants without one of these standard IDs may leave this section blank but will be asked for alternative ID by their county elections department before the registration can be approved.
5. If a person was previously registered in Washington under a different name or address, they should complete the fifth section of the form.
6. Make sure the person signs the declaration and that the signature is clear.
How to Register Online
Click the image to be directed to votewa.gov
VoteWA offers an easy-to-use online voter portal where you can register to vote, update your address, and get up-to-date voting information on everything from your elected officials, voters’ guide, ballot drop box locations, voting center locations, voting history, and current ballot status. Using VoteWA, to submit a new registration or voter information update requires a valid Washington State driver license or State ID. VoteWA is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
To register, go to [OLVR] at votewa.gov. The system will notify users if the deadline has passed to register electronically for an upcoming election, and direct them to in-person voter registration services. To begin an electronic application, click “start” on the home screen.
Users will then be directed to enter information regarding personal identification, language preference, military service, and their address within Washington. Users will then be asked to affirm the accuracy of the information entered, and to authorize the use of their signature on their driver’s license for voter registration purposes.
Upon submitting the registration, VoteWA users will be presented with a confirmation of its receipt, as well as information about their county of registration.