Declaration of candidacy and filings
A candidate who desires to have his or her name printed on the ballot for election to an office other than President of the United States and Vice President of the United States, shall complete and file a Declaration and Affidavit of Candidacy. A person filing a Declaration of Candidacy for an office shall, at the time of filing, possess the qualifications specified by law for persons who may be elected to the office. The candidate must be properly registered to vote in the geographic area, district and/or division represented by the office at the time of filing. The officer with whom declarations are filed shall review each declaration for compliance with this law. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
When filing for an office, no candidate may use a nickname that denotes present or past occupation or military rank, use a nickname that denotes the candidate's position on issues or political affiliation, or use a nickname designed to intentionally mislead voters. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
For partisan races, Candidates may indicate a political party preference on the Declaration of Candidacy, or select no party preference; a candidate’s preference will apply to both the primary and general elections. No nomination or endorsement by a party either before or after filing is required. Major political parties may not prevent a candidate from expressing a preference for their party. Minor party candidates and candidates without a party preference do not need to conduct conventions nor gather signatures; candidates need only to file a Declaration of Candidacy and pay a filing fee, if applicable.
Declarations of candidacy are available approximately 30 days prior to candidate filing.
IN-PERSON:
June 2 – June 6, 2008
Filing opens Monday, June 2 at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. on June 6, 2008.
MAIL:
Filings made by mail for regular candidates and Precinct Committee Officers must be received by the filing officer not earlier than ten working days before the first day of filing or no later than the close of business on the last day of the filing period, irrespective of postmark. Failure to meet the deadline renders the filing invalid and it will be returned. Candidate filings (except for Precinct Committee Officer) must be notarized if mailed in or if delivered by someone other than the candidate. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
FAX:
If a candidate files a declaration by fax, the original signed document must be received in the King County Election's office not later than seven calendar days after the receipt of the fax. If there is a filing fee, it must be paid at the same time of the faxed declaration or it will not be accepted. (Reference WAC 434-208-070,080)
ONLINE CANDIDATE FILING:
Filings made online for regular candidates may begin at 9:00 a.m. the first Monday in June and continue through 4:00 p.m. the following Friday. Precinct Committee Officers must file for office by mail, fax, or in person. If you lack the sufficient funds to pay the filing fee and are submitting the filing fee petition in lieu of the filing fee, you must file in person at King County Elections. Acceptance of electronic filings are conditional upon receiving the filing fee. (Reference RCW 29A.24 and WAC 434-208-060, 070, 434-215-090)
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Filing fee guidelines
FILING FEES ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. (Reference RCW 29A.24.131)
- A filing fee equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office at the time of filing shall accompany each Declaration of Candidacy for any office with an annual salary of more than $1,000. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
- A filing fee of $10 will be charged for offices with annual salaries under $1,000. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
- A filing fee is not charged for offices without a fixed annual salary. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
- A filing fee of $1 shall accompany each Declaration of Candidacy for Precinct Committee Officer. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
- Filing fees are not refundable. If a candidate withdraws and re-files for a different position, a second filing fee must be paid for the new position.
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Filing period
IN-PERSON:
June 2 – June 6, 2008
Filing opens Monday, June 2 at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. on June 6, 2008.
MAIL:
May 16 – June 6, 2008
Filings made by mail for regular candidates and Precinct Committee Officers must be received by the filing officer not earlier than ten working days before the first day of filing or no later than the close of business on the last day of the filing period, irrespective of postmark. Failure to meet the deadline renders the filing invalid and it will be returned. Candidate filings (except for Precinct Committee Officer) must be notarized if mailed in or if delivered by someone other than the candidate. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
ONLINE:
Filings made online for regular candidates may begin at 9:00 a.m. the first Monday in June and continue through 4:00 p.m. the following Friday. Precinct Committee Officers must file for office by mail, fax, or in person. If you lack the sufficient funds to pay the filing fee and are submitting the filing fee petition in lieu of the filing fee, you must file in person at King County Elections. Acceptance of electronic filings are conditional upon receiving the filing fee. (Reference RCW 29A.24 and WAC 434-208-060, 070, 434-215-090)
LOT DRAWING:
5:00 p.m. Friday, June 6, 2008
Lot drawings to determine ballot placement will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. on the last day of filing. All candidates are invited to observe.
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Insufficient assets for filing
If a candidate's committee and/or candidate lacks sufficient assets or income to pay the filing fee required, he/she can submit a filing fee with signatures of registered voters from their jurisdiction instead of paying the filing fee. This petition must have at least the number of signatures equal to the number of dollars of the filing fee. The petition must be completed and submitted to King County Elections no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday of filing week. Petitions may not be submitted at a later date for a refund of the filing fee. Please remember to allow enough time to check signatures, as no additional signatures may be submitted after the close of filing on Friday. Petitions cannot be combined with money to make up the filing fee. Blank petition forms are available at the Elections Office. (Reference RCW 29A.24)
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No double filings
Excluding the office of Precinct Committee Officer, Freeholder, or Charter Review Commissioner, a candidate's name shall not appear more than once upon a ballot. (Reference RCW 29A.36.200)
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Reopening of filing
Filings for all offices shall be reopened for a period of three normal business days; such period to be fixed by the Election Officer with whom such Declarations of Candidacy are filed, and notice is given by notifying the press, radio and television in the county and by such other means as may now or hereafter be provided by law whenever before the eleventh Tuesday prior to a primary:
- A void in candidacy occurs;
- A vacancy occurs in any leaving an unexpired term to be filled by an election for which filings have not been held; or
- A nominee for judge of the Superior Court entitled to a certificate of election pursuant to Article 4, section 29, Amendment 41 of the State Constitution, dies or is disqualified .
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Residency requirements*
US Senate: Candidates must be at least 30 years of age, US citizens
and residents of the state for which they shall be chosen.
(Reference US Constitution, Article II)
US Representative: Candidates must be at least 25 years of age, US citizens and residents of the state for which they shall be chosen.
(Reference US Constitution, Article II)
State Legislature: Candidates must be qualified voters in the district. (Reference State Constitution, Article II, Section 7)
State Offices: Candidates must be qualified electors of the State of Washington.
(Reference State Constitution, Article III, Section 25)
Supreme, Superior, District, and Seattle Municipal Court Judges: Candidates must be resident electors of their district and admitted to practice law in the courts of record of the State of Washington.
(Reference State Constitution, Article IV, Section 17 Article III, Section 25; RCW 3.34, 35.20)
Municipal Court Judges (other than City of Seattle): Candidates must be qualified resident electors of King County and admitted to practice law in the courts of record of the State of Washington.
(Reference RCW 3.50)
Court of Appeals Judges: Candidates must be residents of the district for not less than one year and admitted to practice law in the courts of the State of Washington for not less than five years prior to taking office.
(Reference RCW 2.06)
County Offices: Candidates must be at least 21 years of age, residents and registered voters of King County. County Council candidates must be residents and registered voters of their County Council district.
(Reference King County Charter)
Non-Charter Code Cities: Candidates must be registered voters at the time of filing and residents for at least one year on Election Day.
(Reference RCW 35A.12.030)
(Note:All cities in King County are "non-charter code" cities, except the cities of Seattle and Normandy Park and the towns of Beau Arts Village, Hunts Point, Skykomish and Yarrow Point. )
Port Districts: Candidates must be registered voters of King County. (Reference RCW 53.12)
School Districts: Candidates must be registered voters of the district or director district. Mercer Island, Vashon and Skykomish School District candidates need only be registered voters in the school district. Candidates of all other school districts must be registered voters in their director district.
(Reference RCW 28A.315, 29A.24)
Park & Rec Districts: Candidates must be resident electors (registered voters) of district. (Reference RCW 36.69, 54.12)
Fire, Water & Sewer Districts: Candidates must be qualified electors (registered voters) of district. (Reference RCW 42.04)
*All candidates must be resident electors of their district. (Reference RCW 42.04) "Resident Elector": a citizen residing at his/her voter registration address.
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Lapse of election when no filing for single positions
If after both the normal filing period and special three day filing period as provided by RCW 29A.24.171 and 29A.24.181 have passed, no candidate has filed for any single city, town, or district position to be filled, the election for such position shall be deemed lapsed, the office deemed stricken from the ballot and no write-in votes counted. In such instance, the incumbent occupying such position shall remain in office and continue to serve until a successor is elected at the next election when such positions are voted upon. (RCW 29A.24.201)
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Where to file declaration of candidacy
Any nonpartisan office except judicial and schools shall file in the county that contains the majority of the registered voters of the district. (Reference RCW 29A.24.070, 28A.323.040 (3))
Secretary of State:
Elections Division
PO Box 40220
Olympia, WA 98501-0220
(360) 902-4180
Offices that file with the Secretary of State:
- President/Vice President
- US Senators
- US Representatives
- State Offices
- State Supreme Court
- State Senators & Representatives
(Districts 1, 31, 32, 39)
King County Elections Division:
King County Elections Bldg
919 SW Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
(206) 296-1565
Offices that file with King County Elections:
- State Senators & State Representatives
(Districts 5, 11, 30, 33, 34, 36, 37, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- King County Offices
- Superior Court
- District Court
- Court of Appeals, Div. 1, Dist. 1
- Municipal Court
- City & Town
- Schools (Fife School District No. 417 files in Pierce County)
- Special Purpose Districts where the majority of registered voters are in King County
- Precinct Committee Officers for all precincts within King County
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Withdrawal of filing
A candidate may withdraw in writing through Thursday, June 12, 2008. There shall be no withdrawal period for Declarations of Candidacy filed during special filing periods. Filing fees are not refundable. (Reference RCW 29A.24.131)
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Write-ins
Any person desiring to be a write-in candidate for any regular office or office of Precinct Committee Officer may, if the jurisdiction of the office sought is entirely within one county, file a Declaration of Write-in Candidacy with the County Auditor and pay the filing fee (if any) no earlier than the day after the regular filing period and no later than the day before the election. If the jurisdiction of the office sought encompasses more than one county, the Declaration of Write-in Candidacy shall be filed with the Secretary of State.
Votes cast for write-in candidates who have filed such declarations, need only specify the name of the candidate in the appropriate location on the ballot and the oval filled in to the left of the write-in, in order to be counted. Write-in votes will not be tallied unless the number of write-in votes plus the sum of the number of under votes and over votes could make a difference in the results for a specific race. In that case, the number of votes for each write-in candidate for that race must be tabulated (whether a declaration of write-in candidacy has been filed or not.)
No person may file as a write-in candidate where: At a General Election, the person attempting to file either filed as a write-in candidate for the same office at the preceding Primary or the person's name appeared on the ballot for the same office at the preceding Primary; the person attempting to file as a write-in candidate has already filed a valid write-in declaration for that Primary or election, unless one or the other of the two filings is for the office of precinct committee officer; the name of the person attempting to file already appears on the ballot as a candidate for another office, unless one of the two offices for which he or she is a candidate is precinct committee officer.
The declaration of write-in candidacy shall be similar to that required by RCW 29A.24.031. No write-in candidate filing under RCW 29A.24.311 may be included in any voter's pamphlet produced under chapter 29A.32 RCW unless that candidate qualifies to have his or her name printed on the General Election ballot. The legislative authority of any jurisdiction producing a local voter's pamphlet under chapter 29A.32 RCW may provide, by ordinance, for the inclusion of write-in candidates in such pamphlets.(Reference RCW 29A.32.311)
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