Your Vote Protects Us All

So much of the natural world we work to protect is here because of our functional democracy—protected by people who voted, testified, and organized, and by courts that held elected leaders and public institutions accountable. Our environmental laws are only as strong as the democratic system that writes and enforces them.

That system is under real strain this year. Courts, agencies, public schools and even the Postal Service carrying our ballots are being tested. Protecting these shared institutions isn't a partisan cause; it's the context within which we hold space for every other cause we care about. Right now, one of the most powerful things we can do for the places and people we love is make sure our ballots count.

Vote Early And Use A Drop Box

Return your ballot this week, and bring it to an official ballot drop box instead of a mailbox. Washington only counts a mailed ballot if it is postmarked by Election Day, and a Postal Service rule change finalized last December moved postmarking to regional processing centers. Ballots can now sit for days before they're stamped, and 20,267 Washington ballots were rejected for late postmarks in the August 2026 primary, up from 16,131 in 2024. If you must use the mail, vote early and, if possible, ask the postal clerk to hand-stamp the envelope.

Official drop boxes accept ballots until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, and you can use any drop box in the state. Later, confirm your ballot was received at VoteWA.gov—and if anything goes wrong, you can still register and vote in person through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Three Statewide Initiatives That Threaten People And The Places We Share

All three statewide measures on this ballot are backed by Let's Go Washington, the committee founded by hedge fund executive Brian Heywood. We urge a “No” vote on each, because a healthy environment depends on healthy communities—ones where every person is safe, respected and served by public institutions that work.

NO: Initiative 645—I-645 would repeal Washington's new 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million. Washington has one of the most upside-down tax codes in the nation, where working families pay a far larger share of their income than the wealthiest residents. The tax would raise roughly $3 billion a year from about 20,000 households—less than 1% of the state—to fund child care, health care, and tax relief for low-income families. The communities that carry the heaviest pollution burdens are often the same ones squeezed hardest by regressive taxes and budget cuts. Repeal would leave the state's general fund—which also supports the public agencies that protect our air, water, and lands—more exposed to cuts.
NO: Initiative 001—Sold as a "Parents' Bill of Rights," I-001 revives rules the Legislature previously revised to protect student privacy. The Washington State PTA, the state's largest parents' organization, opposes it, and critics warn it would weaken protections for children who are victims of abuse. Every young person deserves to be safe at school; that is a basic human right.
NO: Initiative 638—I-638 would bar transgender girls from girls' school sports and require health care providers to verify students' biological sex to play. That puts intrusive screening on every girl who wants to join a team. The Washington chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics even asked the campaign to stop citing it in voter materials; the campaign refused. Bodily privacy and dignity are human rights, and the outdoors and athletics should be open to every kid.

A Strong Yes On The Fireworks Advisory Vote

If you live in unincorporated Island County, you'll find an advisory vote asking whether the county should ban the use of consumer fireworks. We're asking for a strong Yes. The vote is nonbinding, but a clear result tells commissioners exactly where residents stand.

Consumer fireworks spark wildfires in increasingly hot, dry summers—a serious danger on islands with limited evacuation routes. They scatter debris and chemical residue onto beaches and into the Salish Sea, terrify and kill wildlife and domestic animals, and can be traumatic for veterans and others living with PTSD. Many Washington cities and counties have banned fireworks, and Island County risks becoming the region's playground for this dangerous activity. A ban would still allow professional community displays. (Listen to our podcast episode on the Safe and Humane Fireworks effort.)

Democracy is not the work of the parties, our elected leaders, or the lobbyists in D.C. It’s the work of all of us—and for those of us with the right to vote, now’s an important time to participate.