Ballots for the Nov. 5 election will be arriving in your mailbox this week. Here's what you need to know if you're voting in Washington state.

Why it matters: Washington this fall will choose its first new governor and attorney general in 12 years.

• Voters will also decide four statewide ballot measures that could change the state's direction when it comes to taxation and fighting climate change.
• That's on top of elections for president, U.S. senator and most state legislative seats.

Zoom in: In Seattle, an at-large council seat is on the ballot in a special election open to voters citywide.

Voting in Washington state

• You can register to vote or update your address online or by mail through Oct. 28.
• After that, registration changes can be made in person at any election office or voting center through 8pm on Nov. 5.
• Ballots must be postmarked, or returned to an official ballot dropbox, by 8pm on Election Day.
• Ballots will be mailed tomorrow in King County, and by Friday across the state.
• To request a ballot, contact your county election office.

Governor: Bob Ferguson (D) vs. Dave Reichert (R)

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is trying to become the first Republican elected as governor in Washington since 1980.

• He's competing against Democrat Bob Ferguson, the state attorney general, who has a substantial fundraising advantage.
• Go deeper: Where the candidates for Washington governor disagree most

Attorney General: Pete Serrano (R) vs. Nick Brown (D)

Serrano and Brown are competing to replace Bob Ferguson as attorney general.

• Right now, they are arguing opposite sides of a case that seeks to overturn the state's ban on selling weapons such as AR-15s.
• Go deeper: Washington attorney general candidates collide over gun laws

Initiative 2109: Repealing Washington's capital-gains tax

Democrats in Olympia spent years trying to pass a capital-gains tax before Washington's Legislature finally approved one three years ago.

• Now, with I-2109, Republicans are seeking to repeal that tax, which applies to profits from selling assets such as stocks and bonds.
• Go deeper: The future of Washington's capital gains tax is on the ballot

Check out our full guide

Washington state is experiencing a significant rise in pertussis cases, particularly among infants, highlighting a public health concern that has risen as childhood vaccinations in King County have dropped.

By the numbers: As of September, the state had 816 reported cases of whooping cough, compared to just 43 cases in the first nine months of last year, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

• Clark County reported the highest number of cases in the state with 295, followed by King County with 114, according to state data.

Zoom in: About 92% of incoming kindergartners in King County last year were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella — about 3 percentage points below what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates is necessary to ensure herd immunity, public health officials say.

The big picture: There have been at least 15,661 cases in the U.S. this year as of Sept. 21, per the CDC.

Threat level: Infants are particularly at risk for complications, which can include pneumonia, seizures, and in severe cases, even death, according to the CDC.

State of play: Public health officials say vaccinations are the best way to combat the outbreak, but lingering vaccine hesitancy from the pandemic has left more parents opting out of shots using non-medical religious exemptions.

• Public health officials also are concerned that circulating strains of pertussis are adapting to evade vaccines, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim reports.

What we're watching: Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration met last month to discuss more durable vaccines, including nasal vaccines that could boost immunity through mucous membranes.

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Seattle residents were treated to a rare display of the northern lights, painting the sky with vibrant shades of green and purple, last week.

Why it matters: This year and next are expected to be some of the best for seeing auroras in decades, some experts predict.

Driving the news: The aurora borealis was visible due to increased solar activity, making it possible to see the natural phenomenon much farther south than usual.

State of play: The Sun is approaching the peak, or solar maximum, of its roughly 11-year cycle, when more sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expected.

• Powerful CMEs move the auroras farther from the poles so they can be seen closer to the equator.