Timeline of Washington Electoral Systems
Blanket Primaries and Legal Battles
1807–1907 — Nominees for partisan offices are chosen either by convention or by petition. 1907–1934 — In 1907, the Washington State Legislature establishes the first direct primary system for partisan candidates, requiring political parties to choose their nominees through a public primary. In this system, separate ballots are printed for each political party and voters may only cast ballots in one party’s primary. 1935–2003 — Washington State’s “blanket primary system is established in 1935. Except for presidential primaries, all properly registered voters can vote for their choice in any primary for “any candidate for each office, regardless of political affiliation…
