Washington operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of municipal government, governed by a mayor and a six-member borough council, all of whom are elected at-large in partisan elections.
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 3,790 registered voters in Washington, of which 736 (19.4% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,136 (30.0% vs. 35.3%)