OLYMPIA – Secretary of State Steve Hobbs made the following statement following President Trump’s announcement on August 18 that he would sign an executive order to eliminate vote by mail and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms:
“The president’s announcement should be rejected for what it is: federal interference in state authority and a direct threat to every eligible American’s right to cast a ballot and have it counted.
“The Constitution is clear. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 gives Congress and state legislatures the authority to set the ‘Times, Places and Manner’ of elections — not the president. For nearly two decades, Washington voters have benefitted from a vote-by-mail system upheld by our Legislature.
“Sadly, this is not the first attempt by the administration to undermine state authority. Earlier this year, Executive Order 14248 included several requirements that would directly interfere with our existing election processes, which have been proven secure. At the same time, the federal government has dismantled the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, shut down election security programs at CISA, and tie specific requirements that are vague and premature if Washington wants to receive Homeland Security Grant Program funding. These moves stripped local elections offices of resources while piling on new burdens from Washington, D.C. This is the Trump Administration’s next step to systematically dismantle and undermine our state and country’s election systems and I will not idly stand by while it happens in real-time.
“In Washington, our system works. Every ballot is accounted for, signatures are verified, and results are audited. We will continue to run secure, transparent, and accessible elections. Voters deserve nothing less.”
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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. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime and the Civic Engagement Program to increase governmental trust and participation for all Washingtonians.