Voters in Washington will cast ballots for state and local offices and ballot measures in this off-year election. Most of those votes will be cast before Election Day because the state votes almost entirely by drop box or mail.
More information on the election and how to vote from the Washington Secretary of State. Polls and ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. PT.
Here's what to expect and how to follow election news on Nov. 4 and in the days that follow.
Tune in to KNKX
Join KNKX on air and online for local and national updates on Tuesday, Nov. 4 starting a 3 p.m. PT.
KNKX All Things Considered host Emil Moffatt will be your guide through the evening as local vote totals roll in, along with the content and analysis you need to stay informed on races across the region. KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick will be there for you the next day starting at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
The KNKX News team will be busy behind the scenes, out in the field and on air.
Visit knkx.org/election for the latest stories and live results. Follow KNKX on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Bluesky for election and more Northwest news.
What we're watching
KNKX reporters will be keeping an eye on key races and ballot measures throughout the election. We likely won't know the final results in some races on election night.
King County Executive
The consequential race for King County executive is between two progressive county councilmembers: Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay. KNKX's Bellamy Pailthorp has reported that Balducci and Zahilay have similar voting records, and both are lawyers. Zahilay has focused on unincorporated parts of the county, while Balducci has stressed her experience with transit systems.
The King County executive "oversees more than 18,000 county employees, managing a $20 billion biannual budget and critical systems, such as sewage treatment, health and human services and mass transit. From transportation corridors to health directives, big policies set here ripple throughout the regional economy," Pailthorp wrote.
An Oct. 29 poll from the Northwest Progressive Institute shows Balducci and Zahilay tied, as many voters have not yet decided.
Tacoma mayoral race
Tacoma mayor's race also features two seasoned politicians: City Councilmember John Hines and former Councilmember Anders Ibsen. KNKX's Mitch Borden reported that Hines' priorities include economic development, downtown revitalization, and helping unhoused residents access treatment for substance use disorder. (He recently sponsored the expansion of Tacoma's public camping ban.) Ibsen wants to improve how the city dispatches first responders and streamline work with county and community partners to address gun violence.
Seattle mayoral race
In the Seattle mayor's race, progressive candidate Katie Wilson is challenging incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell. Wilson beat Harrell in the August primary by a wide margin. As KNKX's Nate Sanford reports, in terms of how they're campaigning, "Wilson has embraced short-form social media videos and interviews with online content creators and podcasters in an effort to reach a broader — and, critically, younger — group of voters." Harrell, meanwhile, has mostly done interviews with traditional media. He only started posting short-form videos in earnest after losing the primary. As for issues, KNKX's Freddy Monares reported that among their differences, the candidates disagree about how to address homelessness.
Seattle City Council
We'll also be following the Seattle City Council races. Those elected will have a lot on their plate, including the budget. Candidates have debated surveillance, taxes and homelessness, among other issues.
Legislative seats
While off-year elections generally feature local races, this year there are a handful of special elections for legislative seats.
Democrats have large majorities in the state House and Senate. One opportunity Republicans hope to seize to chip away at that is in the race for District 26. Republican challenger Rep. Michelle Caldier is running against Democratic incumbent Sen. Deborah Krishnadasan.
As KNKX's Kirsten Kendrick learned from Shauna Sowersby of The Seattle Times, it's been an expensive race, with business-friendly interests and labor groups among the donors. Meanwhile, the race for District 33 is between two Democrats: incumbent Rep. Edwin Obras, considered more progressive candidate, and Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, who is more moderate.
Ballot measures
Numerous other local measures such as education, business tax and state investments are also on residents' ballots. In Olympia, for example, voters will be deciding whether to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour for larger employers, with a more gradual increase for smaller businesses.
There's an education levy on the ballot for Seattle voters. The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy significantly expands on one that is expiring.
Olympia voters will be deciding whether to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour for larger employers, with a more gradual increase for smaller businesses.
Voters across the state will decide whether the state should be able to invest payroll tax money in the stock market. KNKX's Emil Moffatt spoke to Jerry Cornfield of the Washington State Standard, who told him that since 2023 new payroll tax in Washington has accumulated $2.5 billion dollars for the long-term care program WA Cares. Investing that in the stock market would require amending the state constitution. That amendment is on the ballot this fall, the result of Senate Joint Resolution 8201.
A poll from the Northwest Progressive Institute found that a plurality of voters supported the amendment, though it's approval isn't a sure thing.
Voter registration and turnout
Registered voters: 4,424,713 (as of Aug. 5, 2025).
During the last off-year election in 2023, 36% of voters cast ballots.
Pre-Election Day voting:
Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. Washington's secretary of state has urged voters to use drop boxes or bring their ballots directly to the post office counter to be postmarked.
For elections in 2020 and 2022, almost all votes cast by mail. In the 2024 election, almost all ballots were delivered via drop box or cast by mail.
Votes cast before Election Day 2025: See AP Advance Vote tracker.
