WA Presidential Ballot Access
Washington Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Washington, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
The secretary of state must certify to the general election ballot the names of all candidates for president and vice president who, no later than the third Tuesday in August, have been nominated by a major political party, a minor political party, or as independent candidates, and have certified a slate of electors to the secretary of state. Note: the Washington Secretary of State’s office has indicated that it will accept a provisional certification for the candidate nominated by the DNC, provided the provisional certification is submitted by August 20th, 2024 (What Biden’s Exit means for WA Ballot, The Seattle Times, July 21st 2024) A major political party is a political party that had at least one nominee for president, vice president, united statesenator, or a statewide office receive at least 5% of the total vote cast at the last preceding state general election.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
A presidential candidate that is not nominated by a major political party, including minor party candidates and independent candidates, may be placed on the general election ballot by holding a convention attended by at least one hundred registered voters no earlier than the first Saturday in May and no later than the fourth Saturday in July. The candidate must file with the secretary of state no later than the first Friday of August a certificate of nomination accompanied by a petition containing the signatures of at least 1,000 registered voters. and must file with the secretary of state no later than ten days after the convention is held a list of presidential electors.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the secretary of state no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Wash. Rev. Code §§ 29A.04.097, 29A.04.086, 29A.24.311, 29A.56.320, 29A.56.360, 29A.56.500, 29A.56.610, 29A.56.640, 29A.56.660
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.