WA State Top Two Primary Election

What is the purpose of the August primary?

In the August primary, voters select the candidates who will run for office in the general election.

What is a Top Two Primary?

• In each race, the two candidates with the most votes will advance to the General Election. It is possible that both candidates who advance to the General Election prefer the same party.
• Voters do not have to pick a party. They can cast their vote for anyone who is running in a given race.

Will all the parties be represented in the Top Two primary?

In a top two primary, all candidates running for each office are listed without being supported, nominated or endorsed by a political party. Each candidate for partisan office may use any party’s designation after his/her name on the ballot, but that is strictly the candidate’s preference. A party designation does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate.

What is the difference between a blanket primary and a Top Two primary?

In a blanket primary, candidates in each political party receiving the highest number of votes are qualified to run in the general election, thus ensuring that minor parties are represented. In the Top Two primary, only the top two vote getters run in the general election, and they might state the same party preference.

What offices are subject to the Top Two Primary rules?

The August 19 Washington State Top Two Primary rules apply to partisan candidates running for local, state and other federal offices. Included are races for the House of Representatives, the State Legislature, partisan statewide offices such as Governor and partisan county offices. The partisan offices of President and Vice President of the United States are not subject to Top Ten Primary rules. The August Top Two Primary pamphlets and ballots will reflect the candidate’s name and party preference. The party preference, however, does not imply that the candidate is endorsed, nominated, associated with, or approved of by that party. The top two vote getters for each partisan office will advance to the November 4 general election.

Nonpartisan postions do not fall under the Top Two Primary rules. For instance, the state judges, who are nonpartisan, are also running in the August Primary. If a judicial candidate is unopposed or receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary, s/he is elected to hold office.

For more information on the Top Two primary, go to Washington’s Secretary of State website.