2026 Midterms State GuideWashington
Hold on to your Dungeness crabs and rain boots.
- PrimaryStatewideAug. 4This date has passed.
- Election DayGeneralNov. 3
Updated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you, the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your Dungeness crabs and rain boots, and let’s get into it.
Washington at a glance
Washington votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for all 10 U.S. House seats and three statewide ballot measures.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 26: Online and mail voter registrations must be received by this date (You may also register and vote in person at a county voting center through Election Day.)
- U.S. House
- 10 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 3
Your to-do list
0 of 3 doneImportant dates
- Aug. 4Primary This date has passed.
- Oct. 16Start of the 18-day voting period. Ballots are mailed to all registered voters and Accessible Voting Units become available at voting centers.
- Oct. 26Online and mail voter registrations must be received by this date (You may also register and vote in person at a county voting center through Election Day.)
- Nov. 3General Election Day.
What’s at stake
Washingtonians had $$$ on the brain when thinking about what they want legislators to focus on. According to a 2026 Mountain States Policy Center poll, 32% of voters believe improving the state’s economy should be top priority, followed by lowering taxes (31%) and balancing the state budget (16%). 52% of voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction, with only 37% believing it’s going in the right direction, and many think Washington is falling behind neighboring states. Washington features one of the country’s toss-up districts for the House, likely meaning Democrats will be doing what they can to defend control and up their numbers in the Lower Chamber.
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
Washington will elect ten candidates to represent them in the U.S. House. Democrats are expected to hold seven of those.
- Open seats
WA-4 was open because the incumbent, Rep. Newhouse (R), retired.
- Competitive districts
WA-3 is considered a competitive toss-up district. WA-4 and WA-5 are ranked solidly Republican, and the rest are ranked solidly Democrat. Candidates from both parties filed to run in all districts, so no district is guaranteed to either party.
Statewide ballot measures
3 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
In 2024, voters passed a law giving parents rights over their child's schooling and medical care at school; in 2025, the legislature scaled parts of it back. This measure would restore the law to its original form, requiring schools to notify parents before non-emergency medical care, restoring parents' rights to review education records and classroom materials, shortening the notification window for reports of school-employee sexual misconduct back to 48 hours, and ending the requirement that schools withhold a child's health and social-work records from parents during an abuse investigation. It would also remove three protections the legislature added in 2025: a nondiscrimination guarantee, a parent's right to file a bullying complaint on their child's behalf, and required annual notices about language-access services.
Voting yessupports restoring the 2024 law giving parents rights over their child's schooling and medical care at schoolVoting noopposes this initiative, keeping in place the changes the legislature madeThe state legislature recently passed a law creating a 9.9% tax on individual or household income above $1 million per year, set to take effect in 2028. This measure would repeal that tax before it takes effect, and would also permanently bar state or local governments from creating any tax on income in the future, not just this specific tax.
Voting yessupports Washington having no state income tax, regardless of how much a household makesVoting noopposes this initiative, keeping in place the income tax on households that make more than $1M/yearThis measure would require public school districts and organizations that oversee school sports to bar students who are biologically male from competing on teams or in events designated for female students. To participate in a female-designated sport, a student would need to submit documentation from a health care provider verifying their sex, based on specific biological criteria defined in the measure.
Voting yessupports prohibiting biologically male students from competing in sports designated for biological femalesVoting noopposes this initiative, keeping in place current policy allowing transgender students to compete in the division matching their gender identity
Also on the ballot
Other races Washington voters will decide.
- State Senate
- State House
- State Supreme Court
- Intermediate appellate courts
- Municipal government
- Local ballot measures
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in Washington?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
A prayer for Washington
Maker of mountain and forest, You are with Your people in every peak and valley. Draw near to Washingtonians as they cast their votes so that they aren’t overwhelmed by ballots’ length or complexity. Give them wisdom to weigh each measure carefully, discernment in their choice, and the grace to trust You with the outcomes.
May candidates run with integrity and not with contempt for those who oppose them. Surround the winners with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. Comfort those who lose, and give them grace in their words and deeds.
Draw near to Washingtonians tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Guard their hearts with a peace that this political moment cannot give. Open doors for believers to share the good news that no candidate or ballot decision usurps Your sovereignty or thwarts Your good purposes.
Amen.