OLYMPIA – Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s comments about “nationalizing” elections and the SAVE America Act, saying Washington’s election system will remain secure and locally controlled.
In an email statement to the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA), Hobbs said Washington is prepared to protect voters’ rights despite renewed national debate over election integrity and voter registration.
“The President’s comments are contrary to the protected rights of each state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution,” Hobbs said. “State and locally run elections keep power decentralized, increase transparency and build trust among Washingtonians.”
Hobbs’ comments are in response to recent remarks by Trump suggesting the federal government should take over elections in some areas.
“We should take over the voting in at least many – 15 places – the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said in a Feb. 2 podcast interview with Dan Bongino on The Dan Bongino Show.
In a Feb. 4 interview with NBC News, Trump said he was referring to what he described as “extremely corrupt” cities, including Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia, which have consistently voted Democratic in recent presidential elections.
While Trump did not mention Washington, Hobbs said his office would continue to ensure elections are secure, accurate, and fair.
The office of Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in an email statement to WNPA that “it’s amazing that governments for years now have been defending the integrity of their election systems from antidemocratic attacks just because one man could not admit that he lost the 2020 presidential election.”
“This outcome was litigated in dozens of courts, and none of them found any basis for MAGA’s fraud accusations,” Brown’s email said.
Washington is prepared to challenge any unconstitutional federal actions that interfere with its authority over elections, or if they violate the rights of Washingtonians, Brown’s office said.
Trump’s remarks come as Congress considers the SAVE America Act, which could reshape voter registration nationwide.
The SAVE America Act is a proposed federal bill scheduled to be voted on in Congress this week. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, such as a REAL ID, passport, or other documents that prove U.S. citizenship.
Hobbs said Washington’s established voter registration process requires voters to verify their citizenship when voting, and said that his office would continue to ensure elections are secure, accurate, and fair.
In recent months, the federal Department of Justice in an attempt to fight voter fraud has been seeking states’ voter rolls with private voter information, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, party registrations, email addresses and voter participation histories.
Hobbs said his office has raised concerns that the Department of Justice has not addressed about how federal officials could use this “private and protected” voter information.
Republican lawmakers have also expressed confidence in the state’s ability to manage its elections.
“As far as Trump’s comments around nationalizing elections, I don’t think it’s viable,” Rep. Chris Corry, R- Yakima, said. “We’ve got…delegated powers that allow us to run our elections, and I have full faith that we will be able to do so.”
The Washington State Journal is a nonprofit news website operated by the WNPA Foundation. To learn more, go to wastatejournal.org.
By Ayeda Masood
Author: Washington State Journal
