Washington Holds Mail-In Primary As Spokane Wildfires Disrupt Voting
Washington held its midterm primary Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as a largely mail-in election proceeded while wildfires near Spokane forced mass evacuations and disrupted ballot access.[1]
In-person voting centers were scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Pacific. Officials were posting live returns and updates online as ballots were processed.[1]
Spokane County had issued evacuation orders covering roughly 67,000 residents and the governor declared a state of emergency after fires destroyed parts of the city. County officials shut a ballot drop box inside an evacuation zone after collecting remaining ballots and urged voters to verify ballot status online.
Washington uses a top-two primary in which all candidates share one ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party. In competitive House races, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez faced eight challengers including Trump-endorsed Republican John Braun in the 3rd District, and Rep. Dan Newhouse is retiring from the 4th District where 11 candidates, including Trump-backed Amanda McKinney, sought the seat.[1]
As of July 1, 2026, the state had about 5.1 million registered voters and roughly 780,000 ballots had already been cast ahead of the primary. Washington law triggers automatic machine recounts and, in narrower margins, manual recounts under specified vote and percentage thresholds.
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- Washington's primary is being held Tuesday, August 4, 2026, with in-person voting centers closing at 8 p.m. Pacific.
- Wildfires around Spokane have destroyed parts of the city and forced evacuation orders covering roughly 67,000 residents under a state of emergency.
- Spokane County will shut a ballot drop box inside an evacuation zone after collecting remaining ballots, and officials are directing voters to verify ballot status online.
- In the competitive 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez faces eight challengers including Trump-endorsed Republican John Braun.
- Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse is retiring from the 4th District, where 11 candidates are running to replace him, including Trump-backed Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney.
- As of July 1, 2026, Washington has about 5.1 million registered voters, and about 780,000 ballots had been cast ahead of the primary.
- Washington uses a top-two primary in which all candidates share one ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party.
- Washington law triggers automatic machine recounts and, in narrower margins, manual recounts under specified vote and percentage thresholds.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time