Here’s what’s next for WA’s Democratic Party delegates as Harris seeks the nomination • Washington State Standard

What to know about Washington’s delegation and the evolving situation with the Democratic presidential nomination

How many delegates does Washington get? 

Washington is sending 111 voting delegates to the Democratic National Convention next month. 

Of those, 90 were pledged to Biden, and two are uncommitted. Washington has 19 “superdelegates” who don’t get to vote on the first round and will only do so if a candidate fails to receive a majority on the first ballot. 

How are delegates in Washington chosen? 

Any Democrat can submit themselves as a candidate to be a delegate representing the district in which they vote. 

From there, it’s a long process of narrowing down the list through votes at the legislative district level, the congressional district level and the state central committee level.

The 19 superdelegates are considered automatic delegates, who are party leaders or elected officials who don’t need to go through a vote to represent Washington at the national level.

Did Biden get all of Washington’s delegates?

In Washington, delegates are awarded proportionally based on primary votes, though a candidate must receive at least 15% of the votes to receive a delegate. Biden received just under 84% of the primary vote in Washington statewide. 

Because none of the other candidates received 15% of the vote, Biden received almost all of the delegates. In King County, there were enough votes for “uncommitted” to secure two of the 92 delegates.

What does an uncommitted delegate do?

A delegate who is pledged to a specific candidate must support that candidate at the national convention, but an uncommitted delegate has the ability to decide who to vote for.  

When does Washington need to finalize names on the ballot?

In order to meet printing deadlines, the secretary of state needs the names of presidential candidates by Aug. 20 and names for vice president by Aug. 22. 

Which presidential candidates are certified so far to be on the presidential ballot in Washington?

None. The first candidate to submit the required paperwork for Washington’s ballot was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The state Republican Party submitted former president Donald Trump’s name to the secretary of state on Monday, according to party chair Jim Walsh. 

Can I run for president as a write-in candidate?

Yes. There is a form to fill out on the Secretary of State website. It must be turned in by election day, Nov. 5.

And what about the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is the process by which the states and District of Columbia elect the president of the United States. Each state is represented by a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. There are 538 electors in total. To win the Electoral College, a candidate must receive a majority—at least 270—electoral votes. Washington has 12 electors.

Key Dates

Wednesday: Democratic National Committee will hold a meeting of its rules committee to consider the process for selecting a new nominee for president.

Thursday: Washington state delegates to the Democratic National Convention will meet to consider endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris or another candidate.

Aug. 1: Democratic National Committee has said this is the earliest date for the start of virtual voting by Democratic delegates on a nominee for president.

Aug. 19: The Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago, Illinois. It will conclude on Aug. 22.

Aug. 20: Statutory deadline for political parties to submit names of presidential nominees to Washington’s secretary of state. State law allows for substitutions for vice president up until Aug. 22.

Aug. 22: Deadline for the Washington secretary of state to certify results of the August primary election. 

Aug. 23: Statutory deadline to certify names for the general election ballot.

Sept. 21: Military and overseas ballots mailed for the general election.

Oct. 18: Voters in Washington can expect to start seeing their general election ballots arrive in the mail as the state’s 18-day voting period begins.

Oct. 28: Online and mail voter registration ends.

Nov. 5: It’s Election Day. By 8 p.m., all ballots must be postmarked or placed in a dropbox, and any in-person voter registration or updates must be completed.

Dec. 17: Electors meet in their respective states and vote for president and vice president on separate ballots.

Jan. 6, 2025: Congress counts the electoral votes.