Running for Local Elected Office

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Overview

There are thousands of local government elected positions in Washington State encompassing a wide range of functions and job duties in cities, towns, counties, and many types of special purpose districts. These elected positions are crucial to providing leadership and oversight for local governments, and any qualified individual can run for these offices.

Below is a summary of the various types of elected positions.

Cities and Towns

Washington has 281 cities and towns, all of which have a specific classification (first class, second class, code city, town, or unclassified) and form of government (mayor-council or council-manager) under state law.

All cities and towns are governed by an elected city council. In mayor-council cities and towns, voters also elect a mayor who serves as the city's chief administrative officer. Council-manager cities, on the other hand, designate one councilmember to serve as a ceremonial mayor—usually selected by the other councilmembers—and hire a professional city manager.

To see the classification and form of government of any city or town, refer to MRSC's Washington City and Town Profiles.

City and town officials are generally elected in odd-numbered years (RCW 29A.04.330). All city and town offices are nonpartisan (RCW 29A.52.231), meaning no party affiliations will be listed on the ballot. A "full" or "regular" term for most city officials is four years.

Counties

There are 39 counties in Washington, most of which are governed by an elected board of county commissioners. Several home rule charter counties have county councils instead.

Each county also has a number of other independently elected county positions, typically including an assessor, auditor, county clerk (superior court), prosecuting attorney, sheriff, treasurer, and sometimes a coroner. For more information on these different offices and their general duties, see our page County Elected and Appointed Officials.

Unlike cities, towns, and special purpose districts, most county offices are partisan, meaning that each candidate will self-identify a party affiliation that will be listed on the ballot (RCW 29A.04.110). However, the candidate does not have to be endorsed by the party or have any formal affiliation with a party, and candidates may also choose to express no party preference.

Most county officials are elected during even-numbered years (see RCW 29A.04.321 and RCW 36.16.010), except for certain home rule counties or filling certain unexpired terms resulting from a vacancy. A "full" or "regular" term for county officials is typically four years (see RCW 36.16.020 and RCW 36.32.030).

"Special Purpose Districts"—Fire Districts, Ports, Public Hospitals, Schools, Utility Districts, Etc.

In addition to Washington's cities, towns, and counties, there are hundreds of special purpose districts that perform specialized functions.

"Special purpose district" is a generic term that broadly encompasses many different government types. While there are varying definitions, MRSC uses the term broadly to refer to any local government that is not a city, town, or county. This includes:

• Cemetery districts
• Fire protection districts and regional fire authorities
• Park and recreation districts
• Port districts
• Public hospital districts (PHDs)
• Public utility districts (PUDs)
• School districts
• Water-sewer districts
• And many others

Most of these special purpose districts are governed by elected commissioners or directors, although some districts (such as library districts or transit districts) are governed by appointed officials or trustees instead.

Most special purpose district officials are elected in odd-numbered years (RCW 29A.04.330), although there are exceptions for districts where property ownership is required to vote as well as PUDs and conservation districts.

All special purpose district offices are nonpartisan, meaning no party affiliations will be listed on the ballot (RCW 29A.52.231). The length of a "full" or "regular" term for special purpose district officials is typically four or six years, depending on the agency.

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Who Can Run for Office?

In order to hold any elective public office in Washington State, a person must meet the qualifications in RCW 42.04.020 and RCW 29A.24.075 and be an "elector" (as defined in the Washington State Constitution, Article VI, Section 1) of the city, county, or special purpose district in which they are running for office.

To summarize these various requirements: at the time a candidate files their declaration of candidacy with the county elections office in early May, every candidate must:

• Be a United States citizen,
• Be 18 years of age or older,
• Be a registered voter within the jurisdiction/district they seek to represent (all candidates should make sure their voter registration information is up-to-date),
• Be a resident of the state, county, and precinct for at least 30 days before they file the declaration of candidacy (see below), and
• Not be currently incarcerated for a felony (see below).

Residency

As noted above, all candidates for local elected office must be residents and registered voters within the jurisdiction/district they wish to represent.

State voter registration laws define "residence" as "a person’s permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode" (RCW 29A.04.151). Over time this has been distilled to two tests:

1. The physical location of a residence, and
2. Where the official intends their permanent residence to be.

Physical location is usually easy to establish. A candidate either lives in a rented or owned property in the jurisdiction, or they do not. If a candidate owns or rents more than one property, then it becomes a question of which property the candidate designates as their primary residence.

If a candidate wins election but moves out of the jurisdiction/district during their term, they may have to resign or their position could be deemed vacant.

Felony Convictions

If a person has been disqualified from voting due to a felony conviction, they are not eligible to run for office. See the Washington State Constitution Article VI, Section 1 and Section 3.

Specifically, this applies to all persons convicted of an "infamous crime" as defined in RCW 29A.04.079, which means "a crime punishable by death in the state penitentiary or imprisonment in a state or federal correctional facility," but not including adjudication in juvenile court or convictions for misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors.

However, a convicted felon's voting rights are automatically restored once the person is no longer incarcerated. See RCW 29A.08.520.

To summarize, convicted felons may not run for office while they are incarcerated for a felony, but they may run for office once they are no longer incarcerated for the felony.

However, an elected official must forfeit their office if they are convicted of a felony while in office. See RCW 42.12.010(5).

Additional Requirements or Limitations

Some offices may have additional requirements or limitations on seeking election. Your county elections office or local government may be able to confirm some of the eligibility requirements, but other considerations may be highly dependent on the facts.

For example:

• Optional municipal code cities: Each candidate must be a city resident for at least one year before their election and may hold no other public office or employment within the city except as permitted under chapter 42.23 RCW. See RCW 35A.12.030 (mayor-council code cities) and RCW 35A.13.020 (council-manager code cities). MRSC takes the position that the one-year requirement means one year before the date of the general election—see, generally, In re Contested Election of Schoessler, 140 Wn.2d 368 (2000).
• County prosecuting attorney: Any candidate must be admitted as an attorney in the State of Washington—see RCW 36.27.010.
• Local government employees, spouses, or dependents: Current local government employees—as well as their spouses or dependents—may face limitations on running for office due to state laws, the doctrine of "incompatible offices," and/or potential financial conflicts of interest. For more information, see the sections below on Holding Multiple Government Offices and Conflicts of Interest.
• Officials seeking a second office: Current public officials who are considering running for a second office—such as a port commissioner who also wants to run for mayor—may face limitations on running for office due to state laws and the doctrine of "incompatible offices." For more information, see the section below on Holding Multiple Government Offices.

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Which Offices Are Up for Election?

At least two weeks before the candidate filing period each year, and often significantly earlier, each county elections office will post a list of all positions that are scheduled to be voted upon this year (see WAC 434-215-005).

For each position, these postings typically include the name of the incumbent, the term length and type, whether the position is partisan or nonpartisan, and any associated filing fee.

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Term Length and Type

It is important to understand the different term lengths and types (see RCW 29A.24.020) for positions that will be on the ballot for each election:

• "Regular" or "full" term: This is a regularly scheduled election and the normal length of time an elected official serves in the office. For city and county positions, this is typically four years, beginning on January 1 following the general election. However, there are a few positions with shorter terms—for instance, some elected positions in certain first class cities (according to city charter) and council position seven in second-class cities (see RCW 35.23.051). For special purpose districts, the regular term length is typically four or six years depending on the agency.
• "Unexpired" term: This means the office was not originally scheduled to be on the ballot this year, but the person who was elected to the position left before the end of their regular term, creating a vacancy. While the position may have been temporarily filled by appointment, it must appear again on the general election ballot and the winner will serve the remainder of the original full term. As a result, this "unexpired" term will be shorter than the regular/full term.
• "Short and full" term: This means that the office was originally scheduled to be on the ballot this year, but the person who was elected to the position left before the end of their regular term, creating a vacancy. While the position may have been temporarily filled by appointment, it will appear on the general election ballot as originally scheduled. The winner will technically serve two terms—a "short" term that starts immediately after the election certification and ends December 31, and then the subsequent "full" term starting on January 1. See RCW 29A.04.169.

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Elected Official Salaries

Many elected officials are eligible to receive some sort of salary or compensation for their service, but the amounts vary depending on the type of agency, the applicable state laws, and local policies.

Some officials are paid a fixed salary regardless of the number of hours or days worked, while others are paid on a per diem or per-meeting basis, and some are not paid anything other than expense reimbursements. County officials are generally paid more than city or special purpose district officials. Elected officials also might be eligible to receive benefits in certain cases.

For more information on this topic, see our page on Salaries, Compensation, and Benefits for Local Elected Officials.

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Holding Multiple Government Offices

Washington does not have a "resign to run" law, so any current government employee or official can run for local elected office as long as they are otherwise eligible to hold office.

However, if a candidate who already holds another office wins the election, there are potential conflicts of interest that might require the individual to give up one of their positions.

State law prohibits holding certain positions simultaneously. For instance, a public hospital district commissioner cannot also be an employee of the same public hospital district (RCW 70.44.040(3)). In this example, the hospital employee could run for the position of hospital commissioner while still on staff, but if the employee won the election they would have to resign their staff position to assume the elected office.

There are similar prohibitions, with limited exceptions, for optional municipal code cities—see RCW 35A.12.030 for mayor-council code cities and RCW 35A.13.020 for council-manager code cities.

Other statutes or local charters/codes may provide additional restrictions on dual office-holding, so always consult the state laws and local rules applicable to your jurisdiction(s).

In addition, the common law (court-made) doctrine of incompatible offices says that the same person may not hold two or more "public offices" simultaneously if those offices would be considered "incompatible" with one another—for instance, if one position is subordinate to the other or if there would be a conflict of interest between the two positions. For more information on this topic, see our page on Incompatible Offices.

Even if the offices are compatible, there could be potential financial conflicts of interest—for instance, if the official is in a position to vote on a collective bargaining agreement that would cover their position as a paid employee. There could also be blurred lines of authority if, for instance, a city employee who reports to an elected mayor was elected to city council. The jurisdiction's attorney may need to provide legal advice depending on the facts of the situation.

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Prohibited Use of Public Facilities

Current government officials or employees who are running for office or seeking reelection must be careful to keep their election activities separate from their work activities and may not use "public facilities" (such as a work computer, printer, vehicle, or company time) to support their election campaign.

For more information, see our page on Use of Public Facilities in Election Campaigns.

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Conflicts of Interest

State law prohibits local elected officials from having financial conflicts of interest, with limited exceptions.

For instance, an elected official on a governing body (city council, board of commissioners/directors, etc.) generally may not have a financial interest in a contract with their own agency, since the governing body has the authority to approve such contracts and the official has a personal financial stake in the decision. This applies to collective bargaining agreements as well as private contracts.

Violations can result in civil penalties, voiding of a contract, and possible forfeiture of office.

Even if the official does not vote on the contract or has recused themselves, a conflict of interest still exists. Unless there is a qualifying exception, the only ways to avoid the conflict of interest are either to resign from office and proceed with the contract on a private basis, or to remain in office but forgo the contract.

Some agencies have also adopted their own local codes of ethics that are stricter than state law.

Any candidate who has a financial interest in a contract with a local government, has a spouse or dependent with a financial interest in such a contract, or who might be interested in such a contract in the future, should review the relevant laws/policies and carefully consider the impact of the conflict before seeking office within that government.

For more information on these topics, see our pages on Ethics and Conflicts of Interest and Local Codes of Ethics.

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Filing the Declaration of Candidacy

To run for office, an individual must file a declaration of candidacy with the county filing officer during the filing period and submit the required filing fee or petition, if applicable.

The filing officer is typically the county auditor or, for some counties, the head of the elections office; for simplicity's sake, we will refer to the filing officers and their departments as the "county elections office."

Regular Filing Period and Declaration of Candidacy

The regular candidate filing period lasts for five days, beginning at 8:00 AM the first Monday in May and ending at 5:00 PM on Friday of the same week (RCW 29A.24.050).

Each candidate must complete the declaration of candidacy form (RCW 29A.24.031) provided by their county elections office. Candidate filings are typically submitted online, but they may also be submitted in-person (see RCW 29A.24.040) or by mail (RCW 29A.24.081).

Each candidate will also be asked, either during the filing process or shortly thereafter, to provide information for the local voters' pamphlets that will be mailed to voters shortly before the primary and general elections—such as a brief biography, candidate statement, and photo. See RCW 29A.32.241-.250. The deadline for candidate submissions is typically right after the filing deadline. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit this information as it provides a chance for voters to get to know them better and make an informed decision.

Filing Fees

The filing fee for each office depends on the salary or compensation for that office; see RCW 29A.24.091. Your county elections office will list the filing fee for each office, but here is a summary of how the fees are calculated. (Write-in filing fees are slightly different, as discussed later.)

Any candidate who lacks sufficient assets or income to pay the filing fee may file a petition instead; see RCW 29A.24.091(4). The petition must follow the format and requirements prescribed by RCW 29A.24.101 and contain the signatures of registered voters within the jurisdiction. The number of signatures must be at least as great as the number of dollars of the filing fee. For instance, if the filing fee is $120, the candidate may submit a petition with at least 120 valid signatures instead.

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Withdrawing

Any candidate who filed for office during the regular candidate filing period may withdraw their declaration of candidacy no later than 5:00 PM on the Monday following the last day of the regular filing period (RCW 29A.24.131).

The candidate must submit a signed request that their name not be printed on the ballot; the filing fee is non-refundable.

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If No One Files—Special Filing Period

If the withdrawal deadline has passed and no one has filed for a particular office, there is a "void in candidacy" for the office. See RCW 29A.24.141. A void in candidacy also occurs if the only candidates who filed have either died or been disqualified.

When such a void occurs before the primary election, the filing officer must open a special filing period for three normal business days and provide notice to the public and the news media within the county (see RCW 29A.24.181). Any candidates who file during the special filing period will appear on the general election ballot, and no primary will be held. The candidate receiving the most votes in the general election will be declared the winner.

There is no withdrawal period for candidates who file during a special filing period.

If the special filing period has passed and still no one has filed for office, or if the void occurs after the primary election, a "lapsed election" occurs. See RCW 29A.24.191-.220. The position is considered stricken from the ballot, no write-in votes will be counted, and the incumbent will "hold over" or remain in office for another term. If the incumbent does not wish to serve another term, they may resign and create a vacancy that will be filled by appointment.

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Financial Disclosures and PDC Reporting

Within two weeks of "becoming a candidate," most candidates for local office must file a C-1 candidate registration form with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), as well as an F-1 personal financial affairs statement, in accordance with Title 29B RCW.

There are certain exemptions—for instance, candidates seeking election in small jurisdictions usually do not have to file financial disclosures. See RCW 29B.20.070 and the PDC guidance on Who Files the F-1 Report.

In addition, candidates who are required to file with the PDC must report their campaign contributions and expenses using either "mini reporting" or "full reporting" depending on the amount of money they intend to raise or spend. Candidates who are required to file an F-1 statement will also be required to file annual F-1 statements during their time in office, if they are elected.

The PDC is the agency responsible for campaign finance rules and for investigating potential campaign violations. Candidates who violate the financial disclosure requirements can face penalties ranging from civil fines to, if a court finds that the violation probably affected the election outcome, the voiding of the election itself—see RCW 29B.60.010.

For more information, carefully review the PDC resources for candidates, which includes training videos and live online classes.

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Political Advertisements and Campaign Signs

Any political advertisements must identify the ad sponsor(s), although the requirements vary depending on the type of ad. For more information, see the PDC webpage on Sponsor ID: What to Include.

Many political candidates use social media to help spread the word. Candidates for local office, including incumbents seeking reelection, should use a personal social media account rather than an official account for all campaign-related activities. However, if the official is elected to office, they may then want to refrain from using personal social media accounts for work-related matters to reduce potential First Amendment or public records liability.

Temporary campaign signs must comply with local and state sign regulations. Campaign signs are generally permitted within the local right-of-way, especially if the area has served as a traditional public forum. (For example, in an area where "for sale" signs, advertisements, or notices of lost animals have been allowed.)

However, campaign signs are not allowed within the state highway right-of-way. In addition, placing campaign signs on private property or in the parking strip abutting private property requires the property owner's permission.

For more information about political advertising and campaign signs, see the PDC's Political Advertising Guide, which recommends checking with the local public works department for guidance on where campaign signs can be placed, when they can be installed, and when they must be removed.

If a political sign has been legally placed, no one may remove or deface the sign without authorization, and defacement or improper removal is a misdemeanor (RCW 29A.84.040).

During the 18-day voting period, no campaign-related activities are allowed within 25 feet of ballot drop boxes. There is a similar prohibition on campaign-related activities inside of or within 100 feet of entrances to voting centers and student engagement hubs (RCW 29A.84.510).

Candidates are allowed by law to purchase voter data from their county elections office to be used for political purposes (RCW 29A.08.720).

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The Primary Election

Depending on the office and how many people file, a primary election might be held on the first Tuesday in August (RCW 29A.04.311) to narrow the field to the top two candidates. As noted earlier, no primary will be held following a special filing period.

Partisan Primaries

For partisan county offices, a primary election will be held for each "full" or "regular" term office, even if only one or two candidates have filed.

If more than two candidates file, the top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the general election, regardless of political party.

If only one or two candidates file, the same candidate(s) will appear again on the general election ballot. However, no primary will be held for an unexpired partisan position (caused by a vacancy) if there is only one candidate who has filed for the position. That candidate would only appear on the general election ballot.

See RCW 29A.52.112.

Nonpartisan Primaries

If the candidate withdrawal deadline has passed and there are only one or two candidates who have filed for a particular nonpartisan office, there will be no primary election for that office and the candidate(s) will advance directly to the general election. See RCW 29A.52.220.

In addition, no primary election is held for park and recreation districts or cemetery districts, regardless of how many candidates file for the office. Instead, all candidates will appear on the general election ballot. See RCW 29A.52.220(2).

Primary Election Procedures

The order in which the candidates appear on the ballot (and in the voters' pamphlet) will be determined randomly by lot, which must be conducted publicly and may be witnessed by the media and by any candidate (RCW 29A.26.131).

Ballots are mailed to voters at least 18 days before the primary, with longer timelines for service members and overseas voters (RCW 29A.40.070). The first election results will be released shortly after the polls close at 8 PM on Election Day, with the results updated each day afterward as more ballots are received and tabulated.

Each county canvassing board must certify the election results 14 days after the primary (RCW 29A.60.190). The top two candidates will advance to the general election, and any defeated candidates must wrap up their campaigns and file any necessary reports with the PDC. See the PDC resources for After the Election and Wrapping Up a Candidacy.

If the third-place candidate is especially close to the second-place candidate, the election may go to a mandatory recount, or one of the candidates may request a recount, as discussed on our page Local Elections Administration.

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The General Election

The general election is held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (RCW 29A.04.321).

If a primary election was held for a given position, the top two candidates will be listed on the general election ballot, with the candidate who received the most votes in the primary listed first (RCW 29A.36.170).

If no primary election was held, all the candidates will be listed on the general election ballot, with the order of appearance determined randomly by lot (see RCW 29A.36.170, 29A.52.220, and 29A.36.131).

Ballots are mailed to voters at least 18 days before the general election, with longer timelines for service members and overseas voters (RCW 29A.40.070). The first election results will be released shortly after the polls close at 8 PM on Election Day, with the results updated each day afterward as more ballots are received and tabulated.

Each county canvassing board must certify the election results 21 days after the general election (RCW 29A.60.190). If the election is especially close, it may go to a mandatory recount, or one of the candidates may request a recount, as discussed on our page Local Elections Administration.

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Write-In Candidates

Instead of voting for the candidate(s) printed on the ballot in a primary or general election, any voter may write in the name of a different person, even if that person has not filed for office and is not an official candidate. Some candidates may even organize a write-in campaign if they missed the filing deadline.

However, for write-in votes to be counted, the person whose name is written in must declare their candidacy and pay the required write-in filing fees, if any, no later than 8 PM on Election Day.

The write-in filing fee for each office depends on the salary or compensation for that office as well as when the candidate files; see RCW 29A.24.091. Your county elections office can tell you what the write-in filing fee is for any office, but below is a summary of how write-in fees are calculated.

A person may only file as a write-in candidate for one position on the ballot, and they may not file a write-in campaign if their name already appears elsewhere on the ballot, unless the only office for which they are listed is precinct committee officer or a temporary elected position such as charter review board member or freeholder.

In addition, a candidate who filed for the primary election (either during the regular candidate filing or as a write-in candidate), but failed to advance to the general election, may not file as a write-in candidate for the same position at the general election.

See RCW 29A.60.021 and RCW 29A.24.311-.320.

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After the General Election

After the election, all candidates must wrap up their campaigns and file any necessary reports with the PDC. See the PDC resources for After the Election and Wrapping Up a Candidacy.

The winning candidate will begin transitioning from campaign mode to their new governance role. Many newly elected officials will have a few weeks to prepare before taking office on January 1, but some officials will take office almost immediately after the election results are certified in late November.

To assume office, the official must post the required bonds (if any) and take the oath of office, as described on our page Official Bonds and Oaths of Office.

While not required, it is courteous for a losing candidate to concede to the winning candidate and congratulate them, which encourages civility and helps strengthen our country's longstanding democratic traditions. Similarly, the winning candidate should be gracious toward the losing candidate(s).

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Recommended Resources

Below are additional resources for local elective candidates or potential candidates to review:

• WA Secretary of State: County Elections Offices in Washington State – Provides contact information for elections offices in all 39 counties, which in turn provide detailed candidate filing guides
• Public Disclosure Commission: For Candidates – Information on financial disclosure registration and reporting
• Association of Washington Cities: So You Want to Be an Elected Official – Overview of the roles and responsibilities of city and town elected officials