Key races to watch in 2024 Washington general election
Voter information and a guide to key races appearing on 2024 general election ballots in Washington state.
KING 5
Many key races are on the 2024 November general election ballot, among them are the race for Washington governor.
Voters will decide if Sen. Maria Cantwell will continue to serve in the U.S. Senate and who will represent them in all 10 Congressional Districts.
There are also dozens of local races and measures, including school funding levies.
An initial round of election returns is expected to be released shortly after 8 p.m. on election day. These returns are from ballots that were turned in early. Counties will release additional results in the days after the election. Additional results are typically released daily.
Register to vote
Before you can vote in Washington state, you must register. Registration can be done in several ways: Online, by mail or in person.
To register online you'll need your Washington state driver's license or ID. Visit Votewa.gov and submit your information.
To register by mail, either print a voter registration form or request a registration form. Address the completed form to your county elections office address before mailing.
To register in person, visit your county election office.
To register to vote, you must be:
- A citizen of the United States
- A legal resident of Washington state
- At least 18 years old by Election Day
- Not disqualified from voting due to a court order
- Not under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction.
Dates and deadlines
Oct. 18: The 18-day voting period for the 2024 general election begins
Oct. 28: Online and mail-in voter registrations must be received eight days before Election Day.
Nov. 5 (Election Day): Deadline for in-person voter registration or changes. Deposit your ballot in an official drop box by 8 p.m.
Nov. 26: County Canvassing Board certifies and transmits results.
Dec. 5: Deadline for secretary of state to certify results of the general election.
Voting by mail
Washington has been a vote-by-mail state since 2011.
Registered voters do not need to request a ballot. Ballots are automatically mailed to the address the voter has registered.
Confirm your registration at VoteWA.gov.
Completed ballots are placed in a security envelope or sleeve.
The security envelope or sleeve is then put into a return envelope and signed. Ballots must be signed. Signatures are checked against voter registration records.
Ballots have pre-paid postage and are returned through the mail or at ballot drop boxes. If mailed, it must be postmarked by Election Day. The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots a week prior. Drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Tracking your ballot
After dropping off or mailing a ballot, voters can track the status of their ballot by visiting VoteWA.gov.
Voters must sign in.
On the navigation bar, select "Ballot Status."
Information includes when the ballot was sent, when it was returned and its current status.
How ballots are processed
After a ballot is delivered, envelopes are scanned and marked as "received" in the state system.
They are sorted by precinct and district.
Signatures on ballots are checked against voter registration records. (Voters are contacted before processing if a signature is missing or doesn't match.)
Envelopes are opened and the security sleeve is removed.
Ballots are removed from the security sleeve.
Ballots are reviewed for scanning issues, then scanned and stored.
Key races
Local and statewide races will appear on your ballot during the November 2024 general election.
Here's a look at some of the key races in Washington state:
Governor
Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert are in the running to replace Gov. Jay Inslee.
Ferguson is the current state attorney general. Ferguson was first elected as Washington’s attorney general in 2012. He also previously served on the King County Council.
Reichert is a former U.S. representative and King County sheriff. Reichert served with the King County Sheriff's Office for 33 years before being elected to Washington's 8th Congressional District in 2004. He left Congress in 2019.
Top issues for both candidates through their campaigns were public safety, housing and affordability and healthcare - specifically women's reproductive rights. For an in-depth look on where they stand, click here.
The governor is elected to a four-year term and is the chief executive officer, making appointments for state positions, including state agency directors. The governor also has the power to sign or veto legislation and submit budget recommendations and reports to the Legislature.
The two candidates participated in a debate on Sept. 10. Watch it in its entirety below:
State attorney general
Democrat Nick Brown and Republican Pete Serrano are running to replace Bob Ferguson as state attorney general.
Brown, a Democrat, is a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington and general counsel for Gov. Jay Inslee. He served as U.S. attorney from 2021 until his resignation in June of 2023.
“Keeping Washington families safe has been my life’s work,” Brown previously said. “As U.S. Attorney, I successfully prosecuted violent crime, drug cartels, and people who preyed on children. As general counsel for Governor Inslee, I stood up to Donald Trump to help stop the Muslim ban. In the Army JAG Corps, I fought to defend our soldiers and our freedom. As Attorney General, I’ll keep fighting for the people and families of Washington every day.”
Serrano has served on the Pasco City Council since 2017 and is the current mayor. He is the director-general counsel of the Silent Majority Foundation - a conservative nonprofit that has filed legal challenges on gun control legislation and COVID-19 orders and mandates.
”I think our system is broken,” Serrano told KING 5. “It's unquestionably broken, and I don't foresee my opponent fixing it.”
Serrano said he would back legislation to charge fentanyl dealers with felonies and increase penalties for adults who allow their children to gain access to illegal drugs.
The state attorney general serves for four years as legal counsel to the governor, members of the Legislature, state officials and state entities. The Office of the Attorney General is tasked with protecting the public by upholding the Consumer Protection Act.
US Senate
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell faces Republican challenger Raul Garcia in her bid to continue serving in Congress.
Raul Garcia, who previously cast himself as a moderate, is a doctor out of Yakima who initially decided to run for governor but dropped out of that race and endorsed Reichert.
In a poll released prior to the August primary, Cantwell supporters said climate and abortion were their top issues, while Garcia's supporters overwhelmingly cited border security.
Senators serve six-year terms. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state. The Senate has several exclusive duties, including consenting to treaties, confirming federal appointments made by the president and trying federal officials impeached by the House.
Commissioner of Public Lands
Democrat Dave Upthegrove and Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler are on the general election ballot. One of them will replace current Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz.
Upthegrove narrowly advanced to the general election, earning 49 more votes than Sue Kuehl Pederson during a recount in the primary.
Herrera Beutler is a former U.S. representative of southwest Washington. She lost her bid to be reelected during the 2022 primary to Joe Kent. Kent would be beaten by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Herrera Beutler's priorities include reducing wildfires, habitat conservation and increasing public lands for recreational use.
Upthegrove is the King County Council chair. He said if elected he would focus on a progressive environmental approach that reflects the climate crisis, including preservation of legacy forests. He also would prioritize jobs, honoring treaty rights, improving wildfire prevention and expanding recreation opportunities.
The commissioner of public lands heads the Department of Natural Resources, overseeing the management of more than 5 million acres of state land. The commissioner also manages the state's on-call fire department, which works to prevent and fight wildfires on 13 million acres of private, state and tribal-owned land.
The commissioner serves a four-year term.
Congressional districts
Voters will decide who will serve in Congress for all 10 districts.
That includes District 6, in which Democrat Rep. Derek Kilmer announced he will not continue serving. The two candidates on the November ballot include state Republican Sen. Drew MacEwen and state Democratic Sen. Emily Randall.
The District 6 election will be historic no matter what.
If MacEwen is elected, he would be the first Republican to hold the seat since Thor Tollefson, who served from 1947 to 1965.
If Randall is elected, she would be the state's first openly LGBTQ Congressional member.
U.S. representatives serve two-year terms. The House has 435 members. Every state has a different number of members based on population. Among their duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees.