Secretary Steve Hobbs: The President has no authority over elections
Monday, April 13, 2026
It would mandate voters in federal elections provide documents proving their citizenship and deny those whose registration does not match their birth certificate such as women who take their husband's surname.
The order also would prohibit the counting of absentee or mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day. Washington requires a postmark before the deadline and counts the ballots.
Statement from Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs:
OLYMPIA - The President has no authority over elections; the United States Constitution grants that authority exclusively to states and Congress. This latest federal executive order does nothing to improve that and would jeopardize citizens’ lawful right to vote. We are reviewing the executive order and will take any necessary action to protect Washington’s elections.
Washington’s vote-by-mail elections reflect decades of secure and accurate elections, removing barriers to citizens who want to participate in our democratic process.
Voting fraud is incredibly rare. There have been just 15 cases of noncitizen voting in Washington between 1982 and 2025 or 0.000006% of ballots cast. When issues do occur, our system is designed to identify and resolve them swiftly.
Washington ensures that elections are secure by regularly reviewing its voter rolls and makes voting easy by sending ballots to all registered voters. The President’s attempt to prevent registered voters from receiving ballots is unconstitutional and unfair to voters.
Washington continues to improve voter access while maintaining the integrity of our elections. Elected officials should be doing everything to protect the constitutional rights of Washington voters, not making it harder.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal.
OLYMPIA - The President has no authority over elections; the United States Constitution grants that authority exclusively to states and Congress. This latest federal executive order does nothing to improve that and would jeopardize citizens’ lawful right to vote. We are reviewing the executive order and will take any necessary action to protect Washington’s elections.
Washington’s vote-by-mail elections reflect decades of secure and accurate elections, removing barriers to citizens who want to participate in our democratic process.
Voting fraud is incredibly rare. There have been just 15 cases of noncitizen voting in Washington between 1982 and 2025 or 0.000006% of ballots cast. When issues do occur, our system is designed to identify and resolve them swiftly.
Washington ensures that elections are secure by regularly reviewing its voter rolls and makes voting easy by sending ballots to all registered voters. The President’s attempt to prevent registered voters from receiving ballots is unconstitutional and unfair to voters.
Washington continues to improve voter access while maintaining the integrity of our elections. Elected officials should be doing everything to protect the constitutional rights of Washington voters, not making it harder.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal.
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