King County Elections Division
919 SW Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-2906

MAP

Hours: Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(206) 296-VOTE for General Information

1-800-325-6165 (long distance)

(206) 296-0109 TTY
(206) 296-0108 FAX
elections@kingcounty.gov

Voter Registration

Register to vote

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 presently denied your voting rights due to a felony conviction.

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Registration form

Voter registration forms are available on-line in: [Adobe Acrobat files]
Choose your language:

English
Chinese
Spanish
Cambodian
Korean
Laotian
Russian
Vietnamese

Voter registration forms are also available at:

• King County Elections
• King County Community Service Centers
• City Clerk’s Office, City Halls
• Seattle Community Service Centers [external link]
• All branch public libraries
• All public schools
• Fire stations in Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Seattle, Tukwila, Southcenter, Redmond and Renton
• League of Woman Voters [external link]

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Registration deadlines

In general, you must register at least 30 days in advance of an election to be eligible to vote in that election. It is especially important to remember this deadline if you are registering by mail. Your application must be postmarked by the 30-day cutoff or it will not become effective until after the election.

If you miss the 30-day deadline and are new to the state, you can still sign up in time for the election, but you must register in person at the King County Elections Office no later than 15 days before the election.

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Moving and/or changing your name within King County

If you are a current registered voter and have moved or changed your name, you will need to notify our office.

If you have a name change, you can complete a voter registration form (external link), or you can write or FAX the following information:

• Prior registered name/new name
• Date of birth
• Voter registration number (if known)
• Residence address
• Mailing address (if different)
• Former signature/new signature
• Daytime and nighttime phone number

• Registered name
• Date of birth
• Voter registration number (if known)
• Prior address/new address
• Mailing address (if different)
• Signature
• Daytime and nighttime phone number

To be eligible to vote in your new precinct or under your new name, you must change your record no later than 30 days prior to the election.

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Moving from one county to another within Washington State

If you have moved among counties within Washington State, you must complete a voter registration form (external link). To be eligible to vote in your new precinct, you must change your Washington State registration no later than 30 days prior to the election.

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Absentee voting

You may choose to mark the box on the voter registration form to request an ongoing absentee ballot. This means you are requesting to receive a ballot by mail for each election in which you are eligible to vote. If you choose not to receive an absentee ballot automatically, you may either vote at the polls or request an absentee ballot for any given election. If you decide that at a later time you would like to receive a ballot by mail for each election, you may do so by written request to our office.

See Absentee Ballots for further information on becoming an ongoing absentee voter or to request a one-time absentee ballot.

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Address confidentiality program

The Address Confidentiality Program assists crime victims (specifically victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking) who have relocated to avoid further abuse. It helps participants keep their home, work and/or school address secret by providing a substitute mailing address. It also allows clients to register to vote or apply for a marriage license without revealing their actual address.

To participate or learn more about the Address Confidentiality Program, please visit http://www.secstate.wa.gov/acp/ or call (800) 822-1065 (in Washington only).

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Moving out of State

You must re-register to vote in your new state. Please help keep our voter rolls current and also print, complete, and mail a cancellation form to ensure your King County voter registration is canceled.

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Registration cancellation

You will only be removed from the registration files if a cancellation card is signed by you or you register to vote in another state. Print and sign a cancellation form (PDF).

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Report a deceased voter

If a voter is deceased, another registered voter may fill out a death card to cancel the registration. Print and sign a deceased voter cancellation form (PDF).

How to restore your voting rights

Under Washington State law, if you are convicted of a felony, you lose your right to vote. To restore that right, you must meet all sentencing obligations. You must:

• Pay all financial obligations, such as fines, court costs and restitution; (Note: This provision is currently under review in the Washington State Supreme Court).
• Complete other requirements imposed, such as treatment and community service; and
• Finish your custody, including probation, community supervision and community custody.

The specific steps necessary to restore your right to vote depend on where and when you were convicted. For complete information, see How to Restore Your Voting Rights (PDF, 219 KB).

Updated: Mar. 8, 2007

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