County residents are nominated by the County Executive to serve voluntarily on advisory boards and commissions. The County Council confirms the appointments. While state statute determines membership and length of term for some board/commission appointments, appointments not subject to state statute are generally limited by the county to three consecutive four-year terms. Snohomish County boards and commissions currently include:

• Council on Aging
• Agricultural Advisory Board
• Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) Board
• Animal Advisory Board
• Board of Appeals
• Boundary Review Board
• Central Ferry Advisory Committee (Edmonds)
• Children's Commission
• Citizen Advisory Committee on Disabilities
• Civil Service Commission
• Community Services Advisory Council
• Campus Redevelopment Initiative (CRI) Citizen Advisory Committee
• Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board
• Board of Equalization
• Ethics Commission
• Evergreen State Fair Advisory Board
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
• Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
• Lower Stillaguamish River Clean Water District
• Marine Resources Advisory Committee
• Mental Health Advisory Board
• North Central Ferry Advisory Committee (Mukilteo)
• North Sound Regional Support Network Advisory Board
• Noxious Weed Control Board
• Paine Field Community Council
• Paine Field Master Plan Advisory Committee
• Parks Advisory Board
• Performance Audit Committee
• Pilchuck Development Council Board of Directors
• Planning Commission
• Project Self-Sufficiency Coordinating Council
• Salary Commission
• Snohomish County Public Facilities District Board
• Sno-Isle Regional Library Board
• Veterans Fund Advisory Board

State law sets the qualifications, terms, and election dates for the Prosecuting Attorney and all judges. The County Charter sets the qualifications for all other county elected positions. Such candidates must be United States citizens, over the age of 21, registered voters, and three-year residents of the county. The Executive and Council offices are partisan positions. All other county elected offices are nonpartisan. Elections for charter county positions are held in odd-numbered years. Terms of office are four years. No person shall be eligible to be elected to more than three consecutive full terms for any charter county office.

The General Election is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The Primary Election is usually held on the third Tuesday of September. A Presidential Preference Primary is held on the fourth Tuesday of May in presidential election years. Special elections can be held in February, March, April or May.

You may register to vote in Washington if you are:

• a citizen of the United States;
• at least eighteen (18) years of age;
• presently residing in Washington.

• have never voted before in Washington;
• have legally changed your name;
• have moved from one county to another.

Before you can vote in a particular election, you must be registered to vote thirty days before the election, or 15 days before an election if you are voting by an absentee ballot and would otherwise have been available to register 30 days or more before an election.

Currently registered voters who have moved within Snohomish County may request a transfer of registration (change of address) at least 30 days before an election by calling the Auditor's Office at 425-388-3444. Voter name changes must be submitted in writing.

You can register to vote in person with the County Auditor or when applying for or renewing a driver's license. Mail-in voter registration forms are available at most city halls, public school offices, libraries, post offices, and vehicle licensing subagent offices.

Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot on an election-by-election basis (one election at a time) by contacting the County Auditor's Office in person, by mail, or by phone. Absentee ballot requests can be made up to 45 days before an election. Voters receive their ballots in the mail 15-20 days before each applicable election, and must return the ballot by mail postmarked on or before election day.

Any registered voter can sign up for a "permanent absentee" ballot (to receive a mail-in ballot for every election) by submitting a request in writing. Such a letter must include a date of birth, residence and mailing addresses, and a signature. Requests for permanent absentee ballots can be made at any time.