News

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State invites Washingtonians to join the nationwide celebration of National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) on September 17.

NVRD is dedicated to getting every eligible American registered to vote ahead of the various state deadlines. As the nation’s largest nonpartisan civic holiday, organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local food banks and public libraries will join forces for a one-day, nationwide democracy blitz to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities through in-person events, virtual events,… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State is accepting nominations for Washington’s Medals of Merit and Valor through the September 20 deadline.

The Medal of Merit recognizes people who perform outstanding services for Washington and its residents. The Medal of Valor is awarded to anyone who has saved, or attempted to save, the life of another at the risk of their own safety and is not acting in the course of duty as a Washington police officer, firefighter, or other government-employed first responder.

“There is still time to nominate the hero in… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Productivity Board, a state employee incentive program of the Office of the Secretary of State, voted unanimously Thursday to award four state employees up to $11,300 total for their ideas to save the state money.  

The Productivity Board encourages all state employees to help save taxpayers' money by offering up to $10,000 for a successful employee proposal to… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Library will return to normal public operating hours Monday after remaining partially closed for the past eleven months. In October 2023, the Library announced the reduction of hours due to a historic decline in operating funds derived from real-estate transactions.

The State Library will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6880 Capitol Boulevard East in Tumwater.

The… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Productivity Board will meet from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Room 207 of the Washington State Library at 6880 Capitol Blvd SE, Tumwater, WA  98501.

The Productivity Board encourages all state employees to help save taxpayers' money by offering up to $10,000 for a successful employee proposal to increase government efficiency. First created by the Legislature in 1982, the Productivity Board saved the state millions of dollars before it was shut down in 2011 due to budget constraints.

In accordance with the … Read more

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State certified results of the mandatory statewide manual recount Wednesday for the August 6 Primary race for Commissioner of Public Lands, confirming Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler and Democrat Dave Upthegrove will advance to the November General Election.

The recount indicated a 49-vote margin separating second-place finisher Upthegrove from Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson, who finished third in the contest. The margin originally stood at 51 votes. After consolidating the amended results certified by each… Read more

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) will be represented at PAX West in Seattle from Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, 2024. To join in the festivities and fun, head to booth 134 to learn more about how our office supports communities statewide through civic education and elections, preserving state … Read more

OLYMPIA — Today, the Office of the Secretary of State certified candidates and ballot measures to the Nov. 5 General Election, establishing the slate of choices to appear on ballots this fall.

In addition to voting for U.S. president, eligible Washington voters will decide between the top two candidates for one U.S. Senate seat, nine statewide executives, and numerous congressional, legislative, judicial, and local races when ballots are mailed in October.

“The certification of candidates to the general election marks a critical step in our electoral process,” Assistant… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State certified the August 6 Primary results Thursday and directed a mandatory manual recount of all votes for the statewide Commissioner of Public Lands race. County election offices are estimating the recount will take seven business days to complete.

In the 2024 Commissioner of Public Lands primary contest, Democrat Dave Upthegrove defeated Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson for second place 396,300 votes to 396,249 votes — a difference of 51 (0.0064%). The candidate with the second-most votes following the statewide recount will… Read more

OLYMPIA — Nine presidential nominations by minor parties and independent candidates have qualified to appear on Washington’s Nov. 5 General Election ballot. The Office of the Secretary of State issued letters Tuesday to notify each nominating group of its qualification. Including nominees from the two major political parties, Washington voters will be able to choose from 11 pairs of nominees for president and vice president on the November ballot.

To qualify for the General Election ballot, a minor party or independent candidate must obtain 1,000 signatures from… Read more