Whatcom County voters have less than two weeks to return their ballots for the August 4, 2026, Primary and Special Election. The Whatcom County Auditor's Office is reminding residents that ballots must either be dropped in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on August 4 or mailed with a postmark no later than that same date. For anyone planning to mail their ballot, the United States Postal Service recommends getting it in the mail by Tuesday, July 28, to ensure it arrives on time.
How to Return Your Ballot
Washington State conducts all elections entirely by mail, meaning every registered Whatcom County voter should have already received their ballot. If your ballot has not arrived, contact the Whatcom County Auditor's Office at 360-778-5102 or by email at elections@co.whatcom.wa.us. Staff can confirm your registration status, check whether a ballot was issued to your address, and arrange for a replacement if needed.
Drop boxes are available around the county for voters who prefer not to mail their ballot or who are cutting it close to the deadline. Every official drop box location is listed and mapped at the county's ballot drop box page. Drop boxes are secure, monitored, and available around the clock in the days leading up to the election. Ballots deposited in a drop box by 8 p.m. on August 4 are counted regardless of when during the day they were deposited.
Voters who have moved since they last registered, or who have changed their name, can still update their registration in person at the Auditor's Office through Election Day. In-person registration and same-day registration updates are processed at the Auditor's Office in the Whatcom County Courthouse at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham.
What Is on the August 4 Ballot
The August 4 election is a primary, meaning voters are narrowing down candidates for partisan and nonpartisan offices ahead of the November general election. Whatcom County voters will see races including county-level positions and state legislative contests in the 40th and 42nd districts. Several fire district levy lid lifts are also on the ballot, including measures from Whatcom County Fire Districts 1, 19 (Glacier), and 21 (North Whatcom Fire and Rescue), each seeking voter approval to restore levy rates that have been compressed by state law limits on property tax revenue growth.
The August ballot also includes the Lynden city levy lid lift. Lynden's city council voted earlier this month to send a levy question to voters that, if approved, would increase property taxes by 50 cents to approximately $1.54 per thousand dollars of assessed value starting in 2027. The city has warned that without new revenue, it faces additional layoffs and service reductions beyond the cuts already made, including the closure of City Hall on Fridays.
Special elections are also included in some jurisdictions for bond measures, utility districts, or other local funding questions. Voters should read their entire ballot packet, including the voters pamphlet mailed with the ballot, which contains official pro and con statements for each measure.
Key Dates to Know
July 28 is the date the U.S. Postal Service recommends as the last safe day to mail your ballot and have it postmarked by August 4. Ballots postmarked after August 4 are not counted under Washington law, even if they arrive at the Auditor's Office shortly afterward. If you are mailing your ballot this week, consider dropping it at a post office rather than a neighborhood collection box to ensure same-day processing.
August 4 at 8 p.m. is the absolute deadline for drop box returns. The county's official drop box locations are updated on the Whatcom County elections page. Results will begin posting online shortly after 8 p.m. on Election Night, with additional counts released over the following days as all ballots are processed and verified.
Washington's Secretary of State's elections office also maintains a statewide voter registration lookup tool where residents can confirm their registration status, current address, and whether their ballot has been received and accepted. Voters who have questions about their specific ballot status can use that tool or call the Whatcom County Auditor's Office directly.
With multiple contested races and levy measures affecting fire protection, city services, and local governance, the August 4 primary has real stakes for communities across Whatcom County. Returning your ballot before the July 28 mail deadline is the simplest way to make sure your vote is counted.
