By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to end mail-in voting and eliminate voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, calling the proposal unconstitutional and a direct threat to democracy.
Trump suggested in social media posts this month — including one late Saturday — that he could act unilaterally through an executive order to abolish mail-in ballots and machines nationwide. Mail-in voting accounted for 30% of all ballots cast in the 2024 general election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan government body.
Voter participation by mail exceeded 30% in at least 14 states and the District of Columbia. Trump won half of those states, many of which are led by Republican governors or secretaries of state. Others, including Arizona and Michigan, are major battlegrounds with Democratic election officials.
Hobbs recently issued a statement, arguing Trump’s plan violates the Constitution and undermines decades of secure elections in Washington.
“The president’s announcement should be rejected for what it is: federal interference in state authority and a direct threat to every eligible American’s right to cast a ballot and have it counted,” said Hobbs. “The Constitution is clear. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 gives Congress and state legislatures the authority to set the ‘Times, Places and Manner’ of elections, not the president. For nearly two decades, Washington voters have benefitted from a vote-by-mail system upheld by our Legislature.”
The Office of the Secretary of State manages elections in Washington, registers corporations and charities, and oversees the use of the state flag and seal. Hobbs said federal efforts to interfere with state authority have escalated under Trump.
“Sadly, this is not the first attempt by the administration to undermine state authority,” said Hobbs. “Earlier this year, Executive Order 14248 included several requirements that would directly interfere with our existing election processes, which have been proven secure. At the same time, the federal government has dismantled the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, shut down election security programs at CISA, and tied specific requirements that are vague and premature.”
Hobbs said such moves jeopardize state and local election offices.
“These actions stripped local elections offices of resources while piling on new burdens from Washington, D.C. This is the Trump administration’s next step to systematically dismantle and undermine our state and country’s election systems, and I will not idly stand by while it happens in real time,” said Hobbs.
Washington has operated an all vote-by-mail system for nearly 20 years, with ballots tracked, signatures verified, and audits conducted after every election. Hobbs said those safeguards demonstrate that the system is both secure and transparent.
“In Washington, our system works. Every ballot is accounted for, signatures are verified, and results are audited. We will continue to run secure, transparent, and accessible elections. Voters deserve nothing less,” said Hobbs.
