For months, the Trump administration has tried nearly every trick in the book to disrupt next week’s midterm election, but fortunately for democracy’s sake, it keeps failing.
Last week Washington state was again one of its targets.
The Department of Justice sent a letter to Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, claiming 400 noncitizens were among the 5 million registered to vote in Washington. They offered no credible evidence of such a claim, yet demanded that the state not count ballots from those voters who represent less than 0.01% of the state’s registered voters.
Hobbs’ office examined the DOJ’s list and rejected it out of hand.
In a letter sent to federal officials on Wednesday, Hobbs demanded they show proof of their claim while also rejecting their demands. His office found that many of the people on the DOJ’s list are not currently registered to vote or are on inactive status. Many on the list actually are U.S. citizens.
“Without individualized proof of ineligibility, it would be both irresponsible and illegal for election officials to decline to process a registered voter’s ballot,” Hobbs wrote. “If you have individualized proof, I invite you to provide it so election officials can take appropriate steps that are consistent with federal and state law.”
The DOJ made a similar demand of California, but claimed there were 20,000 noncitizens on that state’s voters rolls out of the 23 million registered voters. A federal judge refused to order the state to segregate and not count ballots from those voters.
As the clock ticks to now five days before Election Day, President Donald Trump has turned up his attacks, including offering $1 million to anyone who reports voter fraud that leads to an arrest and conviction.
His scheme will not succeed. State and county election officials and members of the state’s congressional delegation have been working to prepare for the worst on Tuesday and thereafter. Hobbs, along with state Attorney General Nick Brown, deserves credit for defending the state in this war against democracy waged by Trump.
As for Washington voters, it’s too late to use the United States Postal Service to send in ballots. Instead drop your ballots in one of the more than 600 dropboxes throughout the state, and voting in person remains an option.
