S-0577.1
SENATE BILL 5373
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senators Ramos, Nobles, Slatter, Saldaña, Frame, Orwall, Trudeau, Stanford, Riccelli, Shewmake, Liias, Bateman, Pedersen, Valdez, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/20/25. Referred to Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.
AN ACT Relating to shifting general elections for local governments to even-numbered years to increase voter participation; amending RCW 29A.04.330 , 35.17.020 , 35.18.270 , 35.23.051 , 35.27.090 , 35.30.080 , 35A.02.050 , 3.50.040 , and 3.50.050 ; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that participation in local government elections is integral to ensuring that local governments and elected officials accurately represent and are accountable to the communities which they serve. The legislature believes that when there is low voter participation in an election, policy outcomes are more favorable to special interests and less reflective of the needs of the broader community. Over the past eight years, Washington has had a dramatic gap between odd-year and even-year voter participation: Participation in local elections in odd-numbered years averages around 40.5 percent, while even-numbered year elections average around 80 percent participation, nearly double that of odd-year elections.
Under current law, local governments generally must conduct elections in odd-numbered years that do not coincide with federal or state elections. The legislature believes that holding local government elections in even-numbered years will increase voter turnout and ensure that a broader cross-section of voters participate in contests for local offices, resulting in local governments that more accurately represent and reflect the desires and needs of their communities. In particular, an increase in voter turnout will ensure that the voices of younger voters, working and low-income families, and people with disabilities are heard. Therefore, to increase voter participation in local elections, the legislature intends to provide local governments the option to conduct local elections in even-numbered years.