Federal Impacts on Washington State Elections

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The Office of the Secretary of State is monitoring federal legislation and decisions that would affect elections at the state level. This page will be updated when new information is made available.

USPS rule on federal ballot mail

As of Sep. 14, 2026 — The United States Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Postal Service cannot place new restrictions on ballot mail before the Nov. 3 General Election.

There is no change to Washington election processes.

On Aug. 26, the U.S. Postal Service published its final rule on mail-in voting. The Office of the Secretary of State joined a coalition of 25 states in filing a lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order against the rule. On Aug. 27, a federal judge granted the request, and a temporary restraining order was put in place, blocking the rule for two weeks. A court hearing was scheduled for Sept. 3.

The final rule would place significant burdens on county elections offices and the Office of the Secretary of State, including redesigning envelopes, ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The deadline for mailing ballots to service and overseas voters is Sept. 19, meaning counties would have just over three weeks to comply with the rule’s provisions if implemented.

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) is committed to supporting safe, secure, and accessible vote-by-mail elections for all eligible voters. Washington voters will continue to receive their ballots by mail in the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election.

Watson v. RNC

As of June 29, 2026 — The United States Supreme Court has issued its ruling in Watson v. RNC. The court ruled in favor of states counting ballots received after Election Day that are postmarked on or before Election Day. 

The ruling decided that federal Election Day statutes do not preempt state ballot receipt laws. Washington state law allows election officials to accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. There is no change to Washington’s ballot receipt deadline. For more, read our news release.

What voters can do to make sure their ballot is received and postmarked on time:

  • Use an official ballot drop box. If your ballot is in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day, it is guaranteed on time. For a location near you, check VoteWA.gov.
  • If you need to return your ballot by mail, the USPS recommends mailing your ballot more than a week before Election Day.
  • Text "VOTE" to VOTEWA (868392) to subscribe to text alerts on the status of your ballot. 
June 15, 2026 Update

The United States Supreme Court has not yet made a decision in Watson v. RNC. The decision the United States Supreme Court makes in Watson v. RNC will impact all states with a mail-in ballot receipt deadline after Election Day. The decision will determine whether states can accept ballots received after Election Day that are postmarked on or before Election Day in federal elections.  

This case is about Mississippi’s state ballot receipt deadline, which allows election officials to accept mail-in ballots received up to five days after Election Day if they were postmarked on or before Election Day. The case questions whether federal Election Day statutes preempt state ballot receipt laws. 

Washington state law allows election officials to accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.  

What voters can do to make sure their ballot is received on time: 

  • Use an official ballot drop box. If your ballot is in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day, it is guaranteed on time. For a location near you, check VoteWA.gov.
  • If you need to return your ballot by mail, vote and return your ballot as soon as you receive it.
  • Text "VOTE" to VOTEWA (868392) to subscribe to text alerts on the status of your ballot. 

Federal Judge Ruling to block Executive Order 14399 

As of June 25, 2026 — A March 31, 2026, Executive Order attempted to require states to utilize a list of citizens from Department of Homeland Security to provide the United States Postal Service (USPS) with state participation mailing lists for elections. USPS would only be able to deliver ballots to and from individuals on those lists.

Updates: 

  • On June 25, a U.S. District Court judge blocked this Executive Order from being implemented or enforced before the November 3 General Election.
  • Based on the current ruling, Washington voters will continue to receive their ballots by mail in the upcoming Nov. 3 General Election. For that election, USPS cannot withhold ballots from voters based on the Executive Order.
  • Washington is not required to submit a voter list to the federal government in order to have ballots delivered by mail for the upcoming midterms. USPS cannot withhold ballots because Washington has not turned over its voter roll.
  • Under this ruling, the federal administration cannot attempt to take over states’ voter rolls or further investigate states’ elections based on the Executive Order.

SAVE America Act

As of April 2026 — The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, also called the SAVE Act or SAVE America Act, would change voter registration requirements and election procedures. The SAVE America Act has not been passed in the Senate and has not been signed into law by the president. All information on this page is based on the most recent public bill text and is subject to change as the legislative process continues. 

Key provisions of the current SAVE America Act include:  

  • Documentary proof of citizenship would be required when registering to vote in federal elections. This documentation would need to be shown in person at the agency where a person is registering.
  • Voters would need to show photo ID when voting. In vote-by-mail states like Washington, voters would need to include a copy of their photo ID when returning their ballot.
  • States would be required to submit a complete, unredacted voter roll to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS would use the voter rolls to attempt to verify voter citizenship.

Frequently asked questions about the SAVE America Act

Has the SAVE America Act passed?

The SAVE America Act has not passed the Senate and has not been signed into law. At this time, there is no action required of voters. 

Will I need to register again to vote if the SAVE America Act passes?

Currently registered voters would remain registered if the SAVE America Act passes. Based on current interpretation of the bill, only new voters will be required to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Existing voters would still be required to provide a copy of their photo ID when casting a ballot, but they would not have to provide documentary proof of citizenship when updating a current voter registration.

What documents count as documentary proof of citizenship under the SAVE America Act?

Documentary proof of citizenship includes U.S. birth certificate, a passport, or a Washington state enhanced ID or enhanced driver’s license. If a person’s current legal name does not match the name on their citizenship documents, they would need additional documentation showing the name change. A more complete list of acceptable documents is outlined in the full bill text, but these requirements are subject to change as the SAVE America Act has not passed. At this time, Washington voters do not need to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. 

Will I still be able to vote by mail if the SAVE America Act passes?

Voters would not be required to vote in person under the SAVE America Act. Washington voters would still be able to vote at home and return their ballot by official ballot drop box or U.S. mail. However, voters would be required to present photo ID every time they vote. For vote-by-mail elections, this means voters would need to include a photocopy of their valid photo ID when they return their ballot envelope — a practice that raises serious privacy and security concerns.

How will the SAVE America Act affect married women and people who have legally changed their name?

A voter whose name does not match the name printed on their documentary proof of citizenship or ID would have to provide additional documentation verifying their name change. The bill text does not include a specific list of acceptable documents at this time. If a voter does not have access to documents proving their name change, they can sign an affidavit attesting that the name on their documentation was previously their name. Many Washingtonians whose legal names have changed would face additional steps when registering to vote, ultimately making voting less accessible.