General election · November 3, 2026

Washington

Every certified statewide question and statewide race, translated into everyday language and linked to its official source.

Adding ballot measures…

Completed sections stay visible while CommonProof checks the next official record.

RegistrationFor the November 3, 2026 Washington general election, online and mail voter registration must be received by October 26, 2026. After that, you can still register or update your registration in person at a voting center through Election Day, November 3, 2026, by 8:00 p.m. The state also lists November 3, 2026 as the in-person registration/update deadline.Official details ↗

Early votingWashington uses vote by mail. The 18-day voting period for the general election starts on October 16, 2026. Ballots are mailed out then, and accessible voting units are available at voting centers. The state says registered voters can also vote in person at voting centers during the voting period.Official details ↗

Absentee or mailWashington does not use a separate absentee-ballot request process. The state says all voters are automatically mailed a ballot at least 18 days before each election. If you need a different mailing address or a replacement ballot, use VoteWA.gov or contact your county elections office. Ballots can be returned by mail or placed in an official drop box by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026.Official details ↗

What may still change

For official wording, I used the Secretary of State’s measure page and the official PDF titles/descriptions that were accessible here. If you need exact ballot-title lines verbatim, that may require direct PDF text extraction outside this tool.
The official certification PDF is the controlling source for the November 3, 2026 general-election candidate list. I used the Secretary of State certification dated August 21, 2026.
I included only U.S. Senate and statewide elected-office races. I excluded U.S. House, legislative, judicial-retention, county, city, local, and ballot-measure contests.
The certification PDF pages I could directly inspect show no statewide executive races in the general-election candidate list, so this output includes only the U.S. Senate race. If you want, I can also produce a separate list of statewide ballot measures, but you asked to exclude them.
Where the official list shows a party preference, I kept that wording exactly as the certified list gives it. Washington’s top-two system means a candidate’s preference is not the same as a formal party nomination.
I used the Washington Secretary of State’s current 2026 calendar and voter pages. If the state later changes rules or deadlines, those pages would control.
The state page gives October 26, 2026 for online and mail registration, and November 3, 2026 for in-person registration. I did not infer any earlier or later deadline.
The state page says ballots are mailed out at the start of the 18-day voting period, but it does not give a separate deadline to request an absentee ballot because Washington does not use a request-based absentee system.

Ballot measure · Certified

IP26-645: Initiative No. IP26-645

This initiative would change state and local taxes. The Secretary of State says it concerns state and local taxes. The official fiscal statement says it would repeal the tax created by ESSB 6346 and would reduce state revenue.

Read the breakdown

Official ballot wording

Official materials available from the Secretary of State include the ballot title letter, full text of the initiative, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, public investment impact disclosure, and arguments and rebuttals.

Voting yes means

Yes keeps the initiative’s changes. Based on the official fiscal statement, that would repeal the new tax and stop the revenue it would raise.

Voting no means

No rejects the initiative. The new tax created by ESSB 6346 would remain in place.

Financial impact

OFM says approval would result in an estimated loss to state revenue of $11.4 billion over state fiscal years 2027-2031. It says this would reduce funding to the state general fund and affect core services, especially K-12 education, higher education, and human services. It also says local revenue would not be impacted and that the initiative would eliminate some federal revenue tied to implementation. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/FIS%20-%20Initiative%20645%20-%20FINAL.pdf))

Supporters’ strongest case

The strongest official source available here for supporters’ arguments is the Secretary of State’s official voter-guide packet, which includes arguments and rebuttals. I could not extract those pages in this tool, so I will not invent a summary.

Opponents’ strongest case

The strongest official source available here for opponents’ arguments is the Secretary of State’s official voter-guide packet, which includes arguments and rebuttals. I could not extract those pages in this tool, so I will not invent a summary.

Key facts

The Secretary of State says IP26-645 is certified to the ballot for the November 3, 2026 general election. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/news/2026/secretary-state-certifies-candidates-and-measures-november-general-election))
The Secretary of State’s measure page links official materials for IP26-645: ballot title letter, full text, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, public investment impact disclosure, and arguments and rebuttals. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/ko/node/12667))
OFM says approval would result in an estimated $11.4 billion loss to state revenue over state fiscal years 2027-2031. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/FIS%20-%20Initiative%20645%20-%20FINAL.pdf))
OFM says the measure would not impact local revenue. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/FIS%20-%20Initiative%20645%20-%20FINAL.pdf))
OFM says the initiative would reduce funding to the state general fund and affect public K-12 education, higher education, and human services. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/FIS%20-%20Initiative%20645%20-%20FINAL.pdf))

Inspect the sources

OfficialSecretary of State Certifies Candidates and Measures for November General Election↗OfficialProposed Ballot Measure Information↗OfficialFiscal Impact Statement for Initiative 645↗

Ballot measure · Certified

IL26-001: Initiative No. IL26-001

This initiative would restore earlier parent-rights language for public-school children and repeal later changes made in 2025, according to OFM’s summary.

Read the breakdown

Official ballot wording

Official materials available from the Secretary of State include the ballot title letter, full text of the initiative, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, and arguments and rebuttals.

Voting yes means

Yes supports restoring the earlier version of RCW 28A.605.005 and repealing the 2025 amendments.

Voting no means

No rejects the change, so the later amendments would stay in place.

Financial impact

OFM says the initiative would have no fiscal impact on the state. It says local school districts may incur minor costs to update policies and procedures, but that local impact is indeterminate. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-001_FIS_FINAL.pdf))

Supporters’ strongest case

Opponents’ strongest case

Key facts

The Secretary of State says IL26-001 is certified to the ballot for the November 3, 2026 general election. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/news/2026/secretary-state-certifies-candidates-and-measures-november-general-election))
The Secretary of State’s measure page links official materials for IL26-001: ballot title letter, full text, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, and arguments and rebuttals. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/ko/node/12667))
OFM says the initiative would restore RCW 28A.605.005 as originally passed in 2024 and repeal amendments made in 2025. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-001_FIS_FINAL.pdf))
OFM says the initiative would have no fiscal impact on the state. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-001_FIS_FINAL.pdf))
OFM says local school districts may incur minor costs to update policies and procedures, but that impact is indeterminate. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-001_FIS_FINAL.pdf))

Inspect the sources

OfficialSecretary of State Certifies Candidates and Measures for November General Election↗OfficialProposed Ballot Measure Information↗OfficialFiscal Impact Statement for Initiative Measure No. IL26-001↗

Ballot measure · Certified

IL26-638: Initiative No. IL26-638

This initiative would bar students it defines as biologically male from competing in certain school athletic activities intended for female students only, and it would require healthcare-provider verification of biological sex, according to OFM’s summary.

Read the breakdown

Official ballot wording

Official materials available from the Secretary of State include the ballot title letter, full text of the initiative, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, and arguments and rebuttals.

Voting yes means

Yes supports the new athletic restrictions and verification requirement.

Voting no means

No rejects the measure, so current rules would remain unchanged.

Financial impact

OFM says the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction would incur a one-time cost of about $21,000 in state fiscal year 2026 to update guidance. It also says local school districts may incur costs to revise policies and procedures, but that local impact is indeterminate. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-638_FIS_FINAL.pdf))

Supporters’ strongest case

Opponents’ strongest case

Key facts

The Secretary of State says IL26-638 is certified to the ballot for the November 3, 2026 general election. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/about-office/news/2026/secretary-state-certifies-candidates-and-measures-november-general-election))
The Secretary of State’s measure page links official materials for IL26-638: ballot title letter, full text, explanatory statement, fiscal impact statement, and arguments and rebuttals. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/ko/node/12667))
OFM says the initiative would prohibit certain students it defines as biologically male from competing in some school athletic activities intended for female students only. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-638_FIS_FINAL.pdf))
OFM says OSPI would incur a one-time cost of about $21,000 in SFY 2026. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-638_FIS_FINAL.pdf))
OFM says local school-district costs are possible but indeterminate. ([sos.wa.gov](https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Initiative%20Measure%20NoIL26-638_FIS_FINAL.pdf))

Inspect the sources

Federal race · Certified

U.S. Senate: United States Senator (6-year term)

This office helps make federal law for the whole country. The Senate also confirms many presidential appointments and approves treaties.

Read the breakdown

What this office does

The U.S. Senate has 100 members, with two senators from each state. Senators share power with the House to make laws, approve budgets, and oversee the federal government. The Senate also confirms presidential appointments and approves treaties.

Maria Cantwell(Prefers Democratic Party) · Incumbent

Josh Kross(Prefers Republican Party)

Financial impact

No official fiscal estimate was located.

Supporters’ strongest case

No sourced argument was located.

Opponents’ strongest case

No sourced argument was located.

Key facts

Washington's Secretary of State certified the candidates for the November 3, 2026 general election on August 21, 2026.
The official certified candidate list shows the U.S. Senate race as statewide.
The Secretary of State says certified candidates are the ones that county auditors print on the official November general-election ballot.

Inspect the sources

OfficialSecretary of State Certifies Candidates and Measures for November General Election↗Official2026 Certification of Candidates to General Election↗OfficialDescriptions of Elected Offices - U.S. Senator↗

Last checked September 3, 2026 at 12:00 AM. AI-drafted from official election sources. Always confirm your sample ballot with your state or local election office.