Primary Election: Contributions given to a candidate subject to limits with respect to the primary election may not be made after the primary, unless the candidate lost the election and has debt to retire. These candidates can continue to accept primary election contributions for 30 days after the election or until the debt is retired, whichever comes first.
General Election: General election contributions must be made on or before December 31 of the election year. Washington State has a "freeze period" which starts 30 days before a regular session, which typically falls in the middle of December. During the freeze, state office holders, including legislators, are prohibited from soliciting or accepting campaign contributions. A newly elected legislator or statewide official who is not already holding a state office is not subject to the freeze until sworn into office. The newly elected official is allowed to continue accepting contributions once the freeze starts until the end of the cycle or until sworn in, whichever happens first.