Muriel Bowser

D.C. Mayors' Race: What You Need to Know

Playing catch-up when it comes to this fall's D.C. election? We've compiled everything you need to know about where to vote, how to register, who's running, and what else is on the ballot.

Can I vote early?

Yes, if you're registered to vote, you can cast your ballot at selected locations between Oct. 20 and Nov. 1, except Sundays, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. 

However, your regular polling place may not offer early voting, so find all early voting sites here. Early voting begins Oct. 20 at just one site: One Judiciary Square (441 4th St. NW).

On Saturday, Oct. 25, eight more early voting sites will open across D.C. and will be open daily through Nov. 1 (except on Sundays).

How can I register to vote?

There are three ways to register:

1. At a voter registration agency, such as: the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the D.C. Office on Aging, the Department of Parks and Recreation, or the Department of Human Services. If you're registering at any of these agencies, applications are due 30 days before Election Day.

2. By mail. In this case, you would also need to complete and mail the application form at least 30 days before Election Day. You can find the online registration form here. The mailing address is listed below:

D.C. Board of Elections
One Judiciary Square
441 4th St. NW, Suite 250 North
Washington, DC, 20001

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3. In person at the D.C. Board of Elections office. There is no registration deadline when you submit an application at the board's office -- but that if you are casting a regular ballot in an election, you must register before early voting begins for that election, which is about 15 days prior.

Is there a cut-off date to register to vote?


You may register to vote at your precinct's polling place on Election Day. If you are registering at any of the agencies listed above, or via mail, applications must be submitted 30 days before Election Day.

Who is running for mayor?

Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) emerged as the winner of the Democratic primary election in April against Mayor Vincent Gray, whose campaign was marred by a fundraising scandal, and a handful of other candidates.

Councilmember David A. Catania (I-At Large) is considered among the leading candidates for mayor. Should he win, he would be the first white mayor and the first openly gay mayor in D.C. history. A former Republican, Catania left the party in 2004. He says he has a record of "delivering on issues that people care about."

Carol Schwartz, a former four-term at-large D.C. councilmember, is running as an independent. She has made four unsuccessful attempts for mayor; her last bid was in 2002, in which she ran as a Republican. She touts a lengthy record and an education plan that would call on a network of retired educators to volunteer as tutors and mentors.

Nestor Djonkam, an independent candidate, has participated in various political campaigns and currently serves as chair of Cameroonian American Outreach, a nonprofit organization in D.C., as well as the chair of the Nestor for Hope Program, which serves the less fortunate in D.C., according to his mayoral website.

Bruce Majors, an openly gay Libertarian Party candidate, ran against Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton in an attempt to take her seat in 2012. He accrued less than six percent of the vote; however, his ballots were enough to qualify the Libertarians as a major party.

Faith, who goes by one name, is a D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate. This is the 90-year-old's ninth mayoral bid over the span of three decades. "We've become the international business brothel of the world," she said when asked by the Washington Post why she keeps running. "I feel that Washington makes Vegas look like the Vatican."

What else will be on the ballot?

Voters will also vote on:

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