Get ready for Washington’s August 3 primary: Double-check your registration info — or register if you need to!

Key dates, from the Secretary of State’s site

We’re only a month away from Washington state’s August 3 primary! Between now and then, we’ll have regular posts covering the nuts-and-bolts like who can vote, how to vote (including accessible polling places), and how to request a ballot if yours doesn’t arrive.

To start with, if you’re already registered, it’s a good idea to check your registration using VoteWa.gov before before ballots are mailed out on July 16. This way, if your address is wrong, you can correct it before your ballot’s mailed to the wrong place. Not only that, it seems like every election some of our group members discover that they need to re-register for some reason. We’ve got detailed instructions below on how to check your registration.

And if you’re not already registered to vote, now’s a great time! You can register online, by mail with a paper form, or at a county elections office. Here’s a video from the Secretary of State with more information.

Here’s how to register — or check you registration and address — online

Start by going to VoteWa.gov, Washington state’s voter portal.

VoteWa.gov is a one-stop shop: you can register, update your address, request a new ballot if yours doesn’t show up, and find out what’s on your ballot. When you go there, you’ll see something like this.

Fill in your first name, last name, and date of birth, and click submit. If the system finds your information, check your registration status — it should be Active — and make sure your address is correct.

If your status is inactive, you’ll get instructions on what to do. If your name or address has changed (or is wrong), click on the “Update my name or address button.”

If the system doesn’t find your information, you’ll see something like this …

The first thing to do if this happens is double-check the information you entered. There might be a typo, or maybe you entered a variation on your name.

If you’re really not there, you can contact your County Elections Office — their contact information is available on the Secretary of State’s site. Or click on the “Register to Vote” button to go to the online voter registration system. You will need a current Washington State driver’s license, permit or ID card. If you do not have any of these, you may still register by mail or in person. And if you are houseless, see our detailed instructions here.