News

Funding enables the Office of the Secretary of State to strengthen election security, fight election disinformation, enhance voter education, and preserve vital state records and archives

OLYMPIA — The 2022 state budget, awaiting Governor Inslee’s signature, enables the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) to strengthen election security, counter misleading and harmful election disinformation, and enhance voter education.

“Election security and voter education are my top priorities,” said Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. “I thank the state Legislature for its bipartisan… Read more

OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs encourages Washingtonians to do their due diligence and conduct research on the charities or nonprofits to which they donate to support relief efforts in Ukraine.

“Americans are a generous people. Whenever a tragedy or crisis occurs around the world, we express our compassion by donating to any number of honest, legitimate charities,” said Secretary Hobbs. “These charities have the resources and infrastructure to ensure the money we contribute directly supports their designated causes.”

“On behalf of the government of… Read more

OLYMPIA — Washington students in grades K-12 are invited to participate in a contest that encourages them to learn more about the history of their community and state.

The “What’s in a Place Name?” contest offers students the opportunity to explore their neighborhoods and identify a sign or label on a public place named after a person, location, or landmark that is part of Washington’s history. “What’s in a Place Name?” asks participating students — or teams of students — to find out how that name fits into the state’s history and reflects their community’s values, and to present… Read more

OLYMPIA – Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs released the following statement in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“Today we commemorate and honor the life, service, and dedication of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His commitment to justice and non-violence serves as a continual beacon and inspiration for millions of people nationwide. Dr. King helped lay the groundwork for a more equitable and inclusive country. As a person of color, I, too, have experienced racism. When I was a child, my family’s house was tagged, we were harassed, and I was bullied.… Read more

OLYMPIA — Public high schools throughout Washington will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day Friday, Jan. 14.

One of several Washington state civic observances, Temperance and Good Citizenship Day was enacted by the state legislature in 1923 to promote civics education and peaceful citizen engagement. On Temperance and Good Citizenship Day, high-school seniors have the… Read more

OLYMPIA — ’Tis the season for happy holidays, charitable giving…and scammers.

The Office of the Secretary of State is encouraging people to “give smart” this holiday season to help them ensure their charitable donations go to their intended causes.

GIVESMART!, a collaboration between the Office of the Secretary of State’s Corporations and Charities division and the state’s Attorney General’s office, empowers people to make informed and educated giving decisions. GIVESMART! offers resources that can help Washingtonians, as well as senior centers, retirement communities, and… Read more

OLYMPIA — State Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) was sworn in Monday as Washington’s 16th secretary of state. He replaces Kim Wyman, who resigned mid-term to join the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

During brief remarks on Monday, Hobbs pledged to continue enhancing the integrity of Washington’s elections, including efforts to quickly respond to election-related mis- and disinformation.

"As secretary of state, it is my duty to instill confidence in Washington’s electorate that our elections system maintains a strong… Read more

OLYMPIA — Secretary of State Kim Wyman announced today she will be resigning to accept an appointment to serve as the Senior Election Security Lead for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation's lead for cyber, infrastructure, and election security. She will resign as secretary of state, effective Nov. 19, 2021.

Wyman, who has served as Washington’s secretary of state since 2013, released the following:

“When I began working in elections 28 years ago, I resolved to work toward a system where every eligible person in our state had the opportunity… Read more

OLYMPIA — Ballots for the Nov. 2 General Election have been mailed to Washington voters, giving them several days to study the issues and candidates and return their ballots as soon as possible.

Voters have until 8 p.m. Nov. 2 to place their marked ballots in an official ballot drop box anywhere in the state. Drop-box locations can be found at VoteWA.gov, Washington’s online voter portal. Ballots may also be returned by U.S. mail – no postage required – but must be postmarked by Nov. 2 in order to be counted. The U.S. Postal… Read more

OLYMPIA – The Office of the Secretary of State is calling on students and teachers across Washington to take part in the 2021 Student Mock Election.

Open now until Nov. 2, the Student Mock Election is a nonpartisan educational initiative that teaches K-12 students how elections work and how to become informed voters. Students have the opportunity to participate in a “mock”… Read more