OLYMPIA – On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Washington’s 12 electors met to cast their votes for president and vice president, joining electors across the country in this constitutionally mandated step of the presidential election process. The meeting took place at 12 p.m. in the Legislative Building in Olympia. All 12 electors voted for Kamala Harris for President, and Tim Walz for Vice President.
“I’d like to thank the electors gathered here today for playing this significant role in the governance of our great nation,” said Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (pictured below). “On behalf of everyone here and across the state, I’d also like to thank the thousands of dedicated election officials across all 39 counties who worked tirelessly to ensure our elections are safe, secure, and accurate.”
This year marked the first Electoral College meeting open to the public since 2016. Washington’s 2020 Electoral College meeting was closed to the public in accordance with health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Washington is one of 48 states that uses a “winner-take-all” system, meaning all 12 electoral votes are cast for the presidential ticket that receives the majority of votes in the state.
Each candidate running for president selects a slate of electors through a caucus and convention system. Washington passed legislation in 2019 requiring all electors to vote for their party’s candidate. Any elector who marks their ballot for a different candidate or leaves their ballot blank is replaced by an alternate.
After the electors cast their votes today, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs signed and certified the results. The certified results will be delivered to the President of the Senate, and electoral votes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be counted during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2025.
More information about Washington’s Electoral College process is available on the Office of the Secretary of State website.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.