Ballot access requirements for political parties in Washington
 in Washington |
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| Ballot access for major and minor party candidates |
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| Ballot access for presidential candidates |
| Select a state below to learn more about ballot access requirements for candidates in that state. |
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| Ballot access requirements for political parties in the United States |
| List of political parties in the United States |
| Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker |
Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Washington, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Chapter 29A.80 of the Washington Election Code
In Washington, the top-two primary system allows candidates to list any party as the party that they prefer. Thus, major parties and minor party candidates are not required to conduct conventions or collect signatures to qualify for the ballot. Washington state law does not dictate how political parties conduct their nominations, and the parties may decide for themselves how to conduct their nominations. A "major political party" is defined as a political party whose nominees for president and vice president received at least 5 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last presidential election. A "minor political party" is a political organization other than a major political party.[1][2][3]
Political parties
As of December 2021, the two largest political parties in Washington were the Democratic and Republican parties. The top-two primary system, however, is a nonpartisan primary, which allows a candidate to select any party designation to appear next to his or her name on the ballot.
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Washington | Link | Party by-laws |
| Republican Party of Washington | Link | Party by-laws |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Washington
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Washington
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Washington
- Republican Party of Washington
External links
Footnotes
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