News

Filing Week is Coming!

April 29, 2020

Candidates to become elected Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) should plan to declare their candidacy during Washington State's Filing Week, May 11-15, 2020.

There is no filing fee to run for the office of elected Democratic Precinct Committee Officer. There are no Public Disclosure Commission reports to file, and PCO candidates don't submit a picture or a candidate statement. Write-ins are not allowed for PCO.

What is a Precinct Committee Officer?

Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) are elected officials of the Democratic Party. They are the primary conduit between voters in their neighborhoods and the Democratic Party.

PCOs do the following:

• Elect the leadership of their local party organizations (legislative district and county,)
• Elect the representatives of their local party organizations to the State Party's governing body, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee (WSDCC, which elects the leadership of the State Party,)
• Build relationships with voters in their neighborhood, finding out what issues motivate their neighbors and sharing that information with local parties and campaigns,
• Participate in the candidate and ballot issue endorsement process of their local party organizations, 
• Participate in the appointment process when vacancies occur in partisan offices held by a Democrat (PCOs choose which candidates are submitted to county government for appointment,) and
• Much more!

How Do I Run for Precinct Committee Officer?

• Be a registered voter in your precinct,
• File as a Democratic PCO candidate with your County Auditor during Filing Week (May 11-15, 2020,) and
• If elected, you'll serve a two-year term starting December 1, 2020.

If you're the only candidate in your precinct running for Democratic PCO, you'll be automatically elected right after Filing Week is over. If multiple candidates run in your precinct, the candidate names appear on the August 4th Primary ballot and Democrats in your precinct will vote to elect a PCO from the list of candidates.

Central & Eastern Washington County Auditor Links to File Online to Run for PCO (starting May 11 at 9:00 am through 4:00 pm on May 15)

Updated to add: it appears as though there's a statewide online candidate filing portal this cycle. Try this link first. If it doesn't work, then use your county auditor's link.

• Spokane County (listed first because it's the home of the 3rd LD)
• Adams County
• Asotin County (then look for an online candidate filing link)
• Benton County
• Chelan County
• Columbia County (look for an online candidate filing link or call the Elections Office)
• Douglas County (look for an online candidate filing link or call the Elections Office)
• Ferry County
• Franklin County
• Garfield County
• Grant County
• Kittitas County
• Klickitat County (click on the "Election Information" box)
• Lincoln County
• Okanogan County (look for an online candidate filing link or call the Elections Office)
• Pend Oreille County
• Stevens County (look for an online candidate filing link or call the Elections Office)
• Walla Walla County (look for an online candidate filing link or call the Elections Office)
• Whitman County (if the link doesn't work, call the Elections Office)
• Yakima County

If your county is not listed (or if the link doesn't work,) conduct an online search for your "county name washington county auditor online candidate filing" or visit this website from the Secretary of State. Further problems? Call your County Auditor or send an email with the issue.

Paper Declaration of Candidacy Forms

If you'd prefer to paper-file your PCO candidacy form, print out the Declaration of Candidacy form, complete it, and mail it to your County Auditor so that it is received by Friday, May 15, 2020. Paper candidacy forms may be filed from April 27 through May 15 --- but they must be received by your County Auditor no later than May 15, 2020.

Precinct Lookup Tools and an Email Reminder to File for PCO

If you don't know your precinct, visit the Secretary of State's MyVote website and enter your name and date of birth. Then click the "Menu" box and then "Voter Registration." Your precinct name/number will appear, along with contact information for your County Elections Office.

If you'd like an email reminder to file for PCO when Filing Week opens on May 11, visit the FileForPCO.com website (this website is not affiliated with the Democratic Party.) Enter your street address and zip code and it will automatically look up your precinct. You can sign up for an email reminder when Filing Week opens. The FileForPCO.com website's privacy policy may be found here if you'd like to review the privacy policy before using the website.