Candidates for federal, statewide, and multicounty legislative or judicial offices must file with the Office of the Secretary of State; other candidates should file with the county elections office in which the position resides
OLYMPIA — Candidate Filing Week is May 16-20 for people who want to run for any of the 165 federal, state, and multicounty legislative or judicial offices up for election in Washington this year.
Candidates are encouraged to submit an application online with the Office of the Secretary of State between 9 a.m. Mon., May 16, and 4 p.m. Fri., May 20. Those who file online and pay the required fees via credit or debit card can do so any time day or night during the week.
Applicants may also download a Declaration of Candidacy form and mail it along with a check to Candidate Filing, Office of the Secretary of State, P.O. Box 40229, Olympia, WA, 98504-0229. Or they may file in person at the Secretary of State’s office in the Legislative Building, 416 Sid Snyder Ave. SW in Olympia.
Candidates for federal, statewide, and multicounty legislative or judicial offices must file with the Office of the Secretary of State. Other candidates should file with the county elections office in which the position resides. All applications, regardless of delivery, must be received by the Office of the Secretary of State or the appropriate county elections office by 5 p.m. May 20.
Those who cannot file online, or who require in-person service should contact their county or state elections office to learn more about available services and business hours.
Once their filing is completed by the state or county, all candidates will receive an email with instructions to submit their voters’ pamphlet statement and photo online.
For more information, visit the Candidates & Campaigns page on the Secretary of State’s Elections site. There, applicants can download a candidate guide, read answers to frequently asked questions, and more. A brief, helpful video is also available.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
Information provided by the Washington Office of the Secretary of State.
