DOJ to release data on alleged noncitizen voter registrations in Washington

Federal prosecutors will convene a news conference at Seattle's federal courthouse at 2 p.m. on Monday to present data on alleged noncitizen registrations in Washington state. The briefing, organized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, follows a broader national focus on voter-eligibility issues ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Washington law ties automatic voter registration to the issuance or renewal of driver’s licenses, with the state’s Secretary of State office cross-checking registrations against records from the Department of Licensing and the Social Security Administration. The agency notes that provisional registrations may occur when information does not match, but such ballots are not counted until valid identification is provided.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who has previously defended the state's safeguards, said:

"Voting fraud is incredibly rare. When issues do occur, our system is designed to identify and resolve them swiftly."

Hobbs' office reported that between 1982 and 2025 the state recorded 15 instances of noncitizen voting, representing a fraction of a percent of total ballots cast. Washington does not currently have a ballot measure to restrict municipal voting to citizens, unlike six other states considering such proposals.

The announcement comes as the Justice Department has recently requested that California county election officials isolate ballots linked to approximately 20,000 voters alleged to be noncitizens, and has sought voter details, including Social Security numbers, in that investigation. Independent research groups, such as the Migration Policy Institute and the Pew Research Center, note that verified cases of noncitizen voting remain extremely uncommon nationwide.

Federal prosecutors are expected to provide additional details on the scope of Washington findings during the Monday conference.