Washington Attorney General and DOJ Clash Over Non-Citizen Voter List
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington accused state officials of failing to verify citizenship, while Secretary of State Steve Hobbs called the Justice Department's request to segregate ballots "garbage" and highlighted errors in the list.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the Department of Justice’s list of 405 alleged non-citizen voters in Washington state reflects a failure by state officials to confirm citizenship, adding that the state "does nothing to confirm citizenship" and is "knowingly sending out ballots to non-citizens."
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs responded at a press conference, describing the DOJ’s demand letter as "garbage" and "a dumpster fire disguised as a legal document" that contained multiple mistakes, including an incorrect election date. Hobbs said a preliminary review by his office found many individuals on the list were incorrectly flagged as non-citizens.
The DOJ letter, issued Monday, asked Washington to separate ballots from those on the list and exclude them from the upcoming election. Hobbs noted that under the National Voter Registration Act, Washington requires voters to sign an attestation of citizenship when they register, contradicting the DOJ’s claim.