OLYMPIA — In an effort to boost low turnout in local elections, the Washington House passed a bill Thursday that would allow cities and special districts to have elections in even years.
Washington currently has elections in odd years for city positions, like council seats, and special districts, including water and sewer districts. The staggered timing puts them between races for offices such as those in Congress and the state Legislature, and depresses turnout, supporters say.
House Bill 1932, which needs approval from the state Senate to move forward and become law, would give those governments permission to switch those races to even years, when more voters tend to cast ballots.
The House passed the bill 52-45 on Thursday morning, with Republicans and a few Democrats voting against it. The bill encountered vocal opposition in the floor debate, including concerns voters wouldn't participate in down-ballot races if more contests were on a single ballot.
Opponents, including Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, have also voiced worries that even-year elections would burden elections officials with more work on an uneven schedule, leading to staffing challenges, rather than spreading out elections annually.
Majority Democrats revived interest in the legislation after low turnout in the November 2023 general election — about 36% of voters submitted ballots that got accepted. King County was roughly at the same level, with 37% turnout. Some counties saw turnout of less than 30%.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac, said the bill would let cities choose timing that works better for them, and would increase turnout.
"This is about a slow, methodical, smart way to make sure, proven by data, that two and three times more people will definitely vote," Gregerson said.
Republicans offered a flurry of proposed changes to the bill, including requiring school district bond measures be in even-year general elections, which got rejected.
County auditors were "virtually unanimous" in their opposition to the bill, said Rep. Greg Cheney, R-Battle Ground. The longer ballots could require new technology, he said.
"There's no objection to increasing voter participation," Cheney said. "But doing so without the infrastructure in place, without the resources, without the skilled technicians who we rely upon to make sure our votes are counted accurately, we need to be listening to those people."
Opponents also said the policy would inundate voters with information, leading to voter fatigue, and federal and state races would suck up all the oxygen if local races were at the same time.
Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, pointed to the Legislature's removal of advisory votes from ballots last year "because it crowded the ballot, and confused voters and decreased participation as well." Advisory votes, which had been on ballots whenever the Legislature voted to raise taxes, weren't binding and didn't make changes to policy.
"We need to protect odd-year elections so that the important work of our local governments is highlighted," Corry said, "so that people can make an informed decision and not be rushed to fill out a huge ballot that could be potentially confusing for them."
In King County, voters historically have filled out a higher share of items on their ballots in even years than in odd years, according to an analysis by the Northwest Progressive Institute, which supports the even-year elections bill.
Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, said voter turnout increases among young people and voters of color in even-year elections.
"It is incumbent upon us to make voting as accessible as possible," Mena said. "This bill is one more tool in the toolbox for local governments, who want to switch, who want to experiment with this, who want to see if this makes voting more accessible to those that have been historically marginalized."
Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor, a political scientist, said elections were too frequent and that the data was "crystal clear," citing figures from the secretary of state that more people vote in even years.
The switch would be optional. A city could make the change through its legislative body, like a city council, or by having voters decide on an ordinance change or charter amendment. Entities wanting to make the change would be required to have two public hearings.
Most Washington counties already have their elections in even-numbered years. In 2022, King County voters opted to switch county elections to even years beginning in 2026.
In Seattle, Council President Sara Nelson expressed skepticism about switching local elections to even years. She acknowledged turnout would be higher, but said she was worried about the public's ability to get enough information about each candidate.
"I believe that greater turnout doesn't necessarily mean a better-informed public when it comes to the issues that impact people's daily lives most directly, which is the stuff that comes out of City Hall sometimes, from public safety to potholes," she said recently.
