D.C. residents won’t only be casting a ballot for the U.S. president this November amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are a variety of candidates in the 2020 general election, including those vying for D.C. Council seats (at-large and Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8) and the District’s nonvoting U.S. House delegate.
Here’s what you need to know.
Register to vote
D.C. allows same-day voter registration during early voting and on Election Day.
The D.C. Board of Elections provides registration forms online. The deadline to register online is 21 days before the election: Oct. 13.
Vote Safe DC
The District is heavily promoting its Vote Safe DC initiative during the fight against COVID-19.
Registered voters do not have to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail. All active voters should have received a ballot at their registered address.
For the 2020 general election, registered residents do not have to vote at their assigned polling places.
- Sign up for WTOP’s elections newsletter
- DC voter guide
- Maryland voter guide
- Virginia voter guide
- Presidential Election News
- Congressional Election News
- Local Politics and Elections News
Where and when to vote
D.C.’s mail ballot drop boxes are available until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Here are the ballot drop box locations in D.C. Voters can drop a mail-in ballot at any box.
Early voting centers are open from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Vote centers are open Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The District has a searchable map online for voters.
DC Council at-large candidates
The race for the D.C. Council’s two at-large seats has drawn a whopping number of candidates:
- Robert White (D, incumbent)
- Marya Pickering (R)
- Ann Wilcox (G)
- Joseph Bishop-Henchman (L)
- Claudia Barragan (I)
- Markus Batchelor (I)
- Mario Cristaldo (I)
- Franklin Garcia (I)
- Marcus Goodwin (I)
- Calvin Gurley (I)
- Christina Henderson (I)
- Kathy Henderson (I)
- A’Shia Howard (I)
- Chander Jayaraman (I)
- Ed Lazere (I)
- Jeanné Lewis (I)
- Will Merrifield (I)
- Rick Murphree (I)
- Vincent Orange (I)
- Alexander Padro (I)
- Mónica Palacio (I)
- Eric Rogers (I)
- Addison Sarter (I)
- Michangelo Scruggs (I)
- Keith Silver (I)
DC Council Ward 2
- Brooke Pinto (D, incumbent)
- Katherine Venice (R)
- Peter Bolton (G)
- Randy Downs (I)
- Martín Fernandez (I)
DC Council Ward 4
- Janeese Lewis George (D)
- Perry Redd (G)
DC Council Ward 7
Democratic incumbent Vincent Gray is running unopposed.
DC Council Ward 8
- Trayon White (D, incumbent)
- Nate Derenge (R)
- Christopher Cole (I)
- Frederick Hill III (I)
US House delegate (nonvoting)
Incumbent D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat, faces several challengers:
- Natale Stracuzzi (G)
- John C. Cheeks (I)
- David Krucoff (I)
- Amir Lowery (I)
- Omari Musa (I)
- Barbara Washington Franklin (I).
Shadow Senator
Shadow senators are recognized by D.C. but not officially sworn into Congress or seated in the Senate. Learn what shadow senators do.
Incumbent Democrat Paul Strauss is looking to hold his seat against Republican candidate Cornelia Weiss and Green Party candidate Eleanor Ory.
Shadow Representative
Shadow representatives are recognized by D.C. but not officially sworn into Congress or seated in the House. D.C.’s current shadow rep, Franklin Garcia, is running for an at-large D.C. Council Seat.
- Oye Owolewa (D)
- Joyce Robinson-Paul (G)
- Sohaer Rizvi Syed (I)
DC Board of Education
Five of the nine seats on D.C.’s Board of Education are up for grabs in November.
Listed candidates are all nonpartisan.
At-large candidates:
- Dorothy Douglas
- Christopher W. Martin
- Troy Murphy
- Jacque Patterson
- Ravi Perry
- Mysiki Valentine
Ward 2 candidates:
- Allister Chang
- Christopher Etesse
- James Harnett
- Sarah Mehrotra
Ward 4 candidates:
Frazier O’Leary Jr. is running unopposed.
Ward 7 candidates:
- Karen Williams
- Charles Boston
- Dontrell Smith
- Patricia Stamper
- Eboni-Rose Thompson
Ward 8 candidates:
- Lajoy Johnson-Law
- Carlene Reid
- Ryan Washington
