OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the “information” presented in President Donald J Trump’s nationally televised address last Thursday on election integrity does not change the established record that claims of widespread election fraud have been repeatedly disproven.
“In the past year, cuts to federal programs supporting state election security have created gaps in federal and state election security coordination,” wrote Secretary Hobbs. “In the worst-case scenario, sustaining cybersecurity support for our office and all 39 Washington counties will require $3 million annually.”
In a detailed statement released from his office, Hobbs addressed the president’s disclosures of alleged Chinese acquisition of 220 million voter records, purported cover-ups by the “deep state,” voting machine vulnerabilities, Michigan voter fraud and noncitizen voters on rolls. Trump also used the address to urge Congress to pass the Save America Act.
“Washington state has a proven track record of running secure, accurate, and transparent elections,” wrote Hobbs. “Telling the same lies over and over again does not make them true.”
Adding, “Protecting the integrity of our elections includes protecting voters’ private info. Under Washington state law, the last four digits of an individual’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, and full date of birth are protected. Any state or local election officer who discloses this private voter information may be charged with a class C felony. We do not release voters’ protected information – despite receiving unlawful demands from the DOJ.”
The SAVE America Act is a proposed federal bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, such as a REAL ID, passport, or other documents that prove U.S. citizenship. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is currently suing Washington state for failure to produce its unredacted statewide voter registration lists (VRL) including all fields such as full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers, or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
Every allegation of fraud or ineligible voting receives investigation, according to Hobbs.
“Election officials take voter eligibility and fraud seriously and investigate every allegation,” wrote Hobbs. “While questions may arise following tonight’s address, Washington has well-established processes for maintaining accurate voter rolls and protecting the integrity of our elections.”
Hobbs’ statement was mild compared to other Democratic Party officials who outright condemned Trump’s address with California Governor Gavin Newsom calling it the “ramblings of a mad king.”
“Well, the only thing missing tonight in Donald Trump’s speech was tinfoil,” Newsom said in an X video post. “This was a legitimate 25th Amendment moment…. Nothing about what you watched tonight, though, was real. It’s make-believe. He wants to rig the election in 2026. He knows he’s going to lose. He needs to rig the election before one vote was cast. That’s what that whole thing was about tonight.”
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) wrote in a statement that Trump is wrong about the lack of security in the state’s universal vote-by-mail system and the 2020 election.
“The President is wrong. Washington State’s universal vote-by-mail system is safe and secure and so was the 2020 election. Ask Mike Pence,” she wrote. “The question now is whether Congress continues to allow President Trump to undermine the Constitution, state law, and Americans’ right to cast their votes, or whether Congress will stand up and stop Homeland Security’s unauthorized attempt to throw Americans off of the voting rolls.”
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said the Save America Act belongs “in the trash with the rest of Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories.”
“After listening to the president’s rambling address, I want him to know that the SAVE America Act is going NOWHERE in the Senate,” wrote Senator Murray. “It belongs in the trash with the rest of Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories. America, use your vote and your voice to save our democracy.”
Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA01) and Rick Larsen (D-WA02) released statements affirming the security of vote-by-mail and the absence of evidence for widespread fraud that altered outcomes.
“The President’s speech tonight should be about lowering costs and creating jobs,” wrote Larsen. “Instead, he will continue spreading lies about American elections. The truth is simple: Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. America’s elections are secure, transparent and run by state and local officials from both parties.”
A joint statement from 24 Democratic governors, including Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, warned that the address aimed to intimidate voters and undermine confidence in elections that have been proven safe and secure: “Democrats are leading the way on actually making life better for American families by lowering costs, creating jobs and protecting our freedoms. Ours is a winning message, which is why he is trying to undermine democracy.
“Democratic governors stand ready to fight back against the Trump administration and stop any and all unlawful attacks on every American’s constitutional right to vote.”
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Author: Mario Lotmore
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When is the Lynnwood Times going to report on the constant problems at Department of Licensing driver licensing offices and driver education? Just try calling DOL and see how long you will be on hold. Customers are complaining about being on hold for over 45 minutes and still no-one picked-up. By state law starting January 1st 2027 people the age of 18 years old will need to pass a teenager driver education course to get their driver license. To prepare for this increased demand, driving schools were supposed to be allowed to offer online class instruction July of 2023. But, DOL management decided to stall implementation until the department staff were able to write a new required curriculum for driving schools to teach which includes teaching teens how to hook up a horse trailer and transport animals, among other non-sensical matters. Then DOL’s newest updated driver guide has over 30 errors and people need to hunt down the old driver guide to study for the licensing knowledge exam. However, the questions on the knowledge exam are so poorly written – the computer no longer indicates the correct answer when a question is answered incorrectly. Sorry, the Department of Licensing has went from bad to almost intolerable. The only bright spot is the DOL counter staff who do their best helping customers to get through the rest of the dysfunctions. Thanks