Write-in Candidacy

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Write-in candidates may file a declaration of candidacy form up until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Write-in candidates must file a declaration to have votes tallied for a race. Write-in votes are only hand tallied if the total number of write-in votes may be enough to make a difference in the outcome of the race (RCW 29A.60.021).

Write-in candidates do not appear on the ballot, websites, or in the printed Voters' Pamphlet.

Declaration of Write-in Candidacy

Presidential Declaration of Write-in Candidacy

Filing Fees

Offices Subject to Election and Filing Fees

Write-in candidates that file more than 18 days before an election do not pay a filing fee.

Write-in candidates that file 18 days or less before an election must pay a filing fee.

  • For offices with a fixed annual salary of more than $1,000, the filing fee is 1% of the annual salary.
  • For offices with a fixed annual salary of $1,000 or less, the filing fee is $25.
  • Candidates for offices without a fixed annual salary must also pay the $25 filing fee, including those paid on per diem or per meeting basis.
Submit a petition in lieu of filing fee

Candidates without sufficient assets or income may submit a filing fee petition to pay the filing fee.

You may not file signature petitions electronically.

You may not combine petition signatures and currency to satisfy the filing fee.

Only signatures of registered voters in the same jurisdiction as the office are valid. Each petition sheet must:

  • Be printed on uniform paper size and color.
  • Include a place for each voter’s registration name, address, city, and county.
  • Provide 20 numbered lines or less.
  • Display the required warning and statement found in RCW 29A.24.101 and RCW 29A.72.140.

No additional signatures are accepted after initial submission at time of filing.

Petition sheets are not returned to the candidate.

Printable templates: Filing Fee Petition Template.pdf   2020 Filing Fee Petition Template.docx 

Petitions must include a total number of valid signatures no fewer than the dollar amount of the filing fee.

No person may sign more than one nominating petition for the same office.

Without the required number of signatures, the petition is insufficient and your Declaration of Candidacy is invalid.

Filing Officer

Print and sign a declaration form. Submit to the filing officer for the jurisdiction:

Results and Tallies

Individual tallies do not appear on results.

Election officials do not tally write-in candidates unless the total number of write-in votes are greater than the highest vote getter. A primary write-in candidate must receive more than the second most vote getter. RCW 29A.60.021

Counting Votes

If there are enough write-in votes to tally, elections officials will count all recognizable variations of your name.

Officials may not reject a write-in vote due to a variation in the form of the name if the canvassing board can determine the issue for or against which or the person and the office for which the voter intended to vote. RCW 29A.60.040

Write-in voting—Voter intent. WAC 434-262-160 (1)

In all cases of write-in votes, the canvassing board shall exercise all reasonable efforts to determine the voter's intent.

The board shall determine if votes with name and spelling variations are votes for a declared write-in candidate.

Voter Intent Manual
The Office of the Secretary of State is committed to making every effort to ensure officials count each valid vote.

By law, Washington is a “voter intent” state, which means voters are not disenfranchised if they mark a ballot differently than directed. When officials can distinguish voter intent, we will count the vote.

Election

You may file for either the Primary or General Election, but not both for the same office.

Primary Election

Primary election write-in candidates who receive at least 1% of the total vote and are the second most vote getter will appear on the General Election ballot and be available in the printed Voters' Pamphlet and Online Voters' Guide.

Voters' Pamphlet Profile
When filing a write-in declaration for the primary election, submit an accompanying pamphlet profile. We will only use your profile only if you move on to the general. Please see the State Candidates Guide for profile guidelines.

Party Preference
You may submit a party preference with your declaration. If you move on to the general, the preference will follow your name on the ballot.

General Election

Write-in candidates filing for the general do not appear on ballots, website, or in the printed Voters' Pamphlet.

Voters' Pamphlet Profile
Candidates filing a write-in declaration for the general election do not appear and you should not submit a profile.

Party Preference
You may submit a party preference. If elected, the stated preference accompanies your name for certification.

Laws

Double Filing
No person may file for more than one office with the exception of precinct committee officer or temporary positions such as charter review board member or freeholder. RCW 29A.24.075
Sore loser law

If a candidate loses a race in the Primary, either as a regular candidate printed on the ballot or as a declared write-in, that candidate cannot file in the General Election as a write-in candidate for the same race. RCW 29A.24.311 & RCW 29A.60.021

Stickers

Votes cast by stickers or printed labels are not valid for any purpose and election officials must reject those votes.

Votes cast by sticker or label shall not affect the validity of other offices or issues on the voter's ballot. RCW 29A.60.100

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When can I file a declaration of write-in candidacy?

Any time before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Is there a filing fee for write-in declaration?

There is no fee if you file before the 18-day voting period begins

Filing on or after the 18-day voting period begins requires the full filing fee to accompany the write-in declaration. If there was no fee during the filing period, a $25 fee is required during the voting period.

Submit a petition in lieu of filing fee

Candidates without sufficient assets or income may submit a filing fee petition to pay the filing fee.

You may not file signature petitions electronically.

You may not combine petition signatures and currency to satisfy the filing fee.

Only signatures of registered voters in the same jurisdiction as the office are valid. Each petition sheet must:

  • Be printed on uniform paper size and color.
  • Include a place for each voter’s registration name, address, city, and county.
  • Provide 20 numbered lines or less.
  • Display the required warning and statement found in RCW 29A.24.101 and RCW 29A.72.140.
     

No additional signatures are accepted after initial submission at time of filing.

Petition sheets are not returned to the candidate.

Printable templates: Filing Fee Petition Template.pdf   2020 Filing Fee Petition Template.docx 

Petitions must include a total number of valid signatures no fewer than the dollar amount of the filing fee.

No person may sign more than one nominating petition for the same office.

Without the required number of signatures, the petition is insufficient and your Declaration of Candidacy is invalid.

How do I submit my write-in declaration?

You may submit via email, mail, or fax. Contact your filing officer.

Can I submit a Voters' Pamphlet profile?

Primary Election write-in candidates may submit a profile with their declaration. Only if the candidate receives enough votes to move on to the General Election may the elections office publish the profile.

General Election write-in candidates do not appear online or in the printed Voters' Pamphlet.

Will the vote still count if the voter only writes part of my name or misspells it?

Yes. Washington is a voter intent state and which means voters are not disenfranchised if they mark a ballot differently than directed. When officials can distinguish voter intent, we will count the vote. The Office of the Secretary of State publishes a Voter Intent Manual as part of our commitment to making every effort to ensure officials count each valid vote.

Officials may not reject a write-in vote due to a variation in the form of the name if the canvassing board can determine the issue for or against which or the person and the office for which the voter intended to vote. RCW 29A.60.040

Write-in voting—Voter intent. WAC 434-262-160
(1) In all cases of write-in votes, the canvassing board shall exercise all reasonable efforts to determine the voter's intent.

The board shall determine if votes with name and spelling variations are votes for a declared write-in candidate.

If there are enough write-in votes to tally, elections officials will count all recognizable variations of your name.

How do I see results and tallies?

Unofficial totals appear after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. All write-in votes, declared candidates or not, are grouped together for initial results. Only if there are enough total write-in votes in the race to change the apparent outcome will the election officials begin a tally for the declared candidates.

  • If there are enough total write-in votes, then the final tabulation will display each individual tally for the declared candidates. Multi-county districts must combine tabulation results from all counties.
  • If there are not enough total write-in votes to overcome the apparent winner, officials do not tally individual write-in candidates.