Secretary of State’s Office certifies Primary with historic turnout

OLYMPIA — Today the Office of the Secretary of State certified Washington’s Aug. 4 Primary Election, in which more than 2.51 million people — or 54.44% of all registered voters in Washington — cast their ballots. The turnout rate is the highest on record for a Primary since 1964 when over 840,000 people voted, representing a 56.06% turnout.

“It’s gratifying to see that voters are excited, engaged, and eager to exercise their right to vote and make their voices heard,” said Assistant Secretary of State Mark Neary. “We look forward to serving the people of Washington state and conducting another safe, secure, and accessible election this fall.”

Ballots for the Nov. 3 General Election will be sent to voters no later than Oct. 16. The Office of the Secretary of State encourages people to visit VoteWA.gov to check and update their voter registration record or register to vote. Online and mail-in voter registrations must be received by Oct. 26 in order to participate in the 2020 General Election. After Oct. 26, new registrations or changes must be done in person at a county elections office or voting center.

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.