Washington Voters to Pick Five Supreme Court Seats
Washington voters will choose five state Supreme Court seats on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in nonpartisan races.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Elections
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Washington voters will decide five seats on the Washington Supreme Court on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The races are nonpartisan, so party affiliation does not appear next to candidate names on the ballot.
Why it matters
The court's recent September decision overturning a voter-approved 2024 natural gas initiative on a technicality has put the court's role in the spotlight. Voter turnout in these races has lagged, with 1 in 5 voters skipping the Supreme Court race in 2024.
Five seats are on the Washington Supreme Court ballot, with races held without party labels. In 2024, roughly one in five voters skipped the Supreme Court race entirely, and the candidates and their platforms were not detailed in the available material.
The players
Washington Supreme Court
The state's highest court, whose members are elected in nonpartisan races and which in September overturned a voter-approved natural gas initiative.
The details
Washington Supreme Court races are nonpartisan, so voters will see no party affiliation next to candidate names. The court in September overturned a 2024 natural gas initiative that voters had approved, ruling on a technicality.
Timeline
2024: Voters approved the natural gas initiative, and 1 in 5 voters skipped the Supreme Court race.
September 2026: The Washington Supreme Court overturned the natural gas initiative.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day for the five Washington Supreme Court seats.
Season Trajectory
The five-seat contest follows the Washington Supreme Court's September decision to overturn the 2024 voter-approved natural gas initiative on a technicality. That ruling places the court's composition and decisions at the center of the upcoming nonpartisan races.
Washington voters will choose five Supreme Court seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the races appear without party labels on the ballot. Voters who skipped the court race in 2024 will have the same opportunity to weigh in on those decisions this year.
The takeaway
Because Supreme Court races are nonpartisan, voters should review candidate information before Election Day to make an informed choice on all five seats.
Further reading
For more on how state judicial races are decided, see Elections coverage across Washington.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOMO.
Live Poll
Do you trust the Washington Supreme Court to respect voter-approved laws?
