Friday is final day to file for places on 2019 ballot - there is a filing fee

Candidates filing in person to run for office
Photo courtesy WA Secretary of State

Friday, May 17, is the final day to file for local offices on the 2019 ballot.

Candidates may file either online or in person at the King County Elections office at 919 SW.Grady Way, Renton. The elections office closes at 4:30pm.

All the information you need is online.

From the Washington Secretary of State

If you’re planning to run now or in the future, remember that you’ll need to pay a filing fee.

This fee is equal to 1% of the office’s annual salary at the time of filing. You can view the filing fees for all 337 positions up for election on our website. 

Unfortunately, filing fees are not refundable. So if a candidate withdraws, they don’t get their money back. And if they withdraw and refile for a different position, they’ll be required to pay a second filing fee for the new position.

There is another option for candidates who lack enough funds or income to pay the filing fee. 

Instead, these can candidates can submit a filing fee petition in lieu of paying the fee. The petition must be submitted at the time they file their candidacy. It must contain a minimum of number of signatures equal to the number of dollars of the filing fee. For example, if the filing fee is $461.08, the candidate must submit no less than 461 signatures of registered voters who live within the district they’re running in.

As a best practice, we recommend that candidates who plan to submit a filing fee petition do so as early as possible during the week of candidate filing. It’s also helpful to submit at least 25% more signatures than required. The filing fee petition form can be found on our website. 

All positions do not require a Filing Fee

RCW 29A.24.091
Declaration—Fees and petitions.

"No filing fee need accompany a declaration of candidacy for precinct committee officer or any office for which compensation is on a per diem or per meeting attended basis, or any declaration of candidacy for a write-in candidate filed after the close of filing and more than eighteen days prior to a primary or election."

Update 5-17-19: added information about positions with no filing fee.