May 18, 2012 - As a reminder, the Washington Legislature in 2011 made several changes to the existing laws governing election dates and deadlines. Some of the significant changes are summarized below.

• For the primary election date (the first Tuesday in August), election resolutions must be filed no later than the first Friday immediately before the first day of the regular candidate filing period (the Monday two weeks before Memorial Day). Prior to the effective date of this statutory change, the filing deadline was 84 days before the primary election date.
  
  
• For the general election date (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), election resolutions must be filed no later than the primary election day. Prior to the effective date of this statutory change, the filing deadline was 84 days before the general election date.
  
  
• For all other special election dates (the second Tuesday in February and, starting in 2013, the fourth Tuesday in April), the Legislature changed the election resolution filing deadline from 45 days to 46 days before the election date. Prior to 2013, the April special election date was the third Tuesday in April.
  
  
• The remaining 2012 and the 2013 election dates and deadlines for filing the election resolution are set forth below. Please Note: The county auditor is required to mail ballots to each voter at least 18 days prior to an election date.
  
  

  ELECTION DATE	RESOLUTION FILING DEADLINE
  November 6, 2012	August 7, 2012
  February 12, 2013	December 28, 2012
  April 23, 2013	March 8, 2013
  August 6, 2013	May 10, 2013
  November 5, 2013	August 6, 2013

  
  
• As a result of change in election dates and filing deadlines, the deadline for filing the election resolution for the November election is the day of the August primary. Therefore, if a measure fails at the August primary, it will not be possible to re-run the measure at the November general election, unless some form of alternative election resolution or ordinance has been filed with the county auditor by the August primary date.

Please contact any of our Municipal Finance attorneys if you have questions regarding bond or levy elections.