The Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it alleges are registered to vote without US citizenship, less than two weeks after making a similar demand in California. The announcement is the latest sign of the administration’s attempts to sow doubts about the election or its outcome in states with races that will help determine control of the US Senate and House. In a letter to Washington secretary of state Steve Hobbs, the justice department said it had identified 1,500 votes cast by more than 400 people in prior elections.
It asked the state to set aside any ballots they might cast in next month’s midterm elections until state officials can confirm they are legally eligible to vote. The state has more than 5 million registered voters, and the state issues mail ballots to all of them. At a news conference, Charles Neil Floyd, the acting US attorney in Seattle, said he believed the 405 voters identified so far represented “the tip of the iceberg”.
Hobbs said he was reviewing the justice department’s request. His office noted that the data shared by the department included the last time each of the 405 people voted. Much of the list was built based on “recent contacts” with suspected noncitizens, Floyd said, because federal officers are now routinely checking to see if the people they interact with are registered to vote.
Without access to those state records, proving someone illegally voted will be difficult, Floyd said. The justice department has demanded information including addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial social security numbers. The effort is the latest by the administration to identify noncitizen voters, even though noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.
Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to undermine public confidence in elections. Meanwhile, Washington officials have noted that changes in US Postal Service operations have disenfranchised thousands of legitimate voters. The Washington request marks the third time this month that the justice department has brought a direct state challenge as voting is under way.
All three states – Washington, California and Alaska – have House or Senate races that will help determine the balance of power in the country's Capitol. The race for Washington’s third congressional district is one of the most competitive in the country in this year’s midterm elections. Democrats are counting on congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez winning reelection as crucial to their strategy of retaking the majority in the House.
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