New WA Law Clarifies What Constitutes an 'Election'

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A new Washington state law has been signed to clarify the definition of an 'election' and make it clear that voting more than once, even in different elections, is illegal. The law comes after a court ruling that had overturned a felony conviction for double voting, arguing the two ballots were for different elections. The new legislation specifies that an 'election' refers to any general, primary or special election, regardless of the specific candidates or measures on the ballot.

Why it matters

Ensuring the integrity of elections is a critical issue, and this law aims to close a loophole that could have enabled some voters to cast multiple ballots. The previous court ruling had raised concerns that it could open the door to potential voter fraud in future elections.

The details

The new law, Senate Bill 6084, was sponsored by Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, and signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson. It adds language to existing state law to clarify that an 'election' refers to any general, primary or special election, regardless of the specific candidates, offices, issues or measures on the ballot. The legislation also states that elections are considered the 'same election' if the election date is the same, even if the ballots contain different content. Voting more than once in an election in Washington is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

• The new law took effect immediately after being signed by Gov. Ferguson on March 19, 2026.
• In January 2026, a state appeals court had overturned the felony conviction of a Lewis County resident found guilty of voting twice in November 2022 - once in Washington and once in Oregon.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Lewis County is appealing the January 2026 appeals court decision that overturned a felony conviction for double voting to the Washington Supreme Court.