Washington: Do you need an ID to vote?
Washington votes mostly by mail; in-person voters at a voting center may sign a declaration instead of showing ID.
A person voting at a county voting center either signs a ballot declaration, whose signature is checked against the voter's registration record, or shows a photo ID such as a driver's license or a state, student, tribal, or employer ID. A voter who cannot show ID gets a provisional ballot that counts if the signature matches. None of the three statewide measures on the November 2026 ballot concerns voter ID.
What the law says
(10) The county auditor shall require any person desiring to vote at a voting center to either sign a ballot declaration or provide identification. (a) The signature on the declaration must be compared to the signature on the voter registration record before the ballot may be counted. ... (b) The identification must be valid photo identification, such as a driver's license, state identification card, student identification card, tribal identification card, or employer identification card. ... Any individual who desires to vote in person but cannot provide identification shall be issued a provisional ballot, which shall be accepted if the signature on the declaration matches the signature on the voter's registration record.
Sources
- RCW 29A.40.160 Official · app.leg.wa.gov
- Washington Secretary of State, measures certified for the November 2026 general election Official · sos.wa.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Washington Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Phone
- 800-448-4881
- Website
- sos.wa.gov
How bordering states compare
- Idaho Photo ID requestedIdaho asks voters for a photo ID, but a voter without one can sign an affidavit at the polls and vote a regular ballot.
- Oregon No ID document requiredOregon votes by mail and does not require ID to vote; the signature on each ballot envelope is checked against the voter's registration.
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