King County Elections mails primary ballots

For Aug. 1 election

King County Elections mailed approximately 1.4 million ballots Wednesday, July 12 for the Aug. 1 primary to registered voters across the county.

King County Elections is projecting 35% turnout for this election. Turnout in both the 2021 and 2019 primary reached 35%, according to a King County Elections news release.

The primary election ballot will feature 174 candidates across 46 races and seven ballot measures. Voters’ pamphlets, featuring statements from each candidate and about each measure, have already begun to arrive in voters’ mailboxes earlier this week. Voters can also access a personalized voters’ guide on My Voter Information.

Races with more than candidates appear on the primary ballot. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the Nov. 7 general election.

Voters will receive their ballots in the coming days and should have them by Monday, July 17 mail delivery. Voters who have not received their ballots by Monday can call King County Elections at 206-296-8683.

This election is the first in which ballots translated into Russian and Somali are available for voters. These two languages join Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese as fully supported languages at King County Elections, meaning everything from ballots and voters’ pamphlets to voter education and customer service are available in these languages. Voters who wish to update their language preference can call 206-296-8683 or use the online form.

Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Aug. 1, or returned to one of the 76 drop boxes locations across the county. Drop boxes are open 24 hours, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day.

The deadline to register to vote online is July 24. Voters can register and vote through 8 p.m. on Election Day at any of King County Election’s Vote Center locations.

All voters are encouraged to track their ballot to make sure their voices are heard. Voters can also sign up for ballot alerts to receive text and email notifications about their ballot status from when it’s mailed to when it’s verified and counted by King County Elections. Simply opt-in online through the ballot tracker.