Washington’s New Voter Bill Sparks Controversy

Clear Facts

• Washington State has passed Senate Bill 5077, which mandates automatic voter registration through state agencies.
• Critics argue the bill increases the risk of non-citizens being registered to vote.
• Instances of non-citizens being registered to vote in Washington have been documented, raising concerns about election integrity.

The Washington State Legislature has recently enacted Senate Bill 5077, sparking debate over its potential impact on voter registration. This legislation mandates that the governor designate certain state agencies to automatically register individuals to vote when they access government services. Essentially, anyone signing up for public benefits or utilizing state agencies in Washington will have their information automatically sent to the Secretary of State’s office for voter registration.

This new bill is reminiscent of the federal “motor voter” law, which requires Department of Motor Vehicle offices to automatically register individuals for federal elections when they apply for driver’s licenses. However, Washington’s approach extends this process to state welfare agencies and offices conducting naturalization ceremonies. Even those enrolling in health insurance through the state’s exchange will now have their information automatically transmitted to facilitate voter registration.

Critics, particularly from conservative circles, are voicing concerns about this development. Julie Barrett, founder of Conservative Ladies of Washington, has expressed her opposition, stating:

“In Washington, non-citizens can take advantage of, and have access to, all of these services.”

Conservative think tanks caution that automatic voter registration “highly increases the likelihood that non-citizens will be registered to vote.”

These concerns are not unfounded. Reports have highlighted instances where illegal aliens have been registered to vote in Washington, sometimes unknowingly. An immigration attorney in 2018 wrote to the Department of Licensing (DOL), noting that “many of our clients are unwittingly getting registered to vote when they get their IDs, apply or receive any state benefits.”

In a similar vein, a Kittitas County Auditor employee expressed frustration in 2019, stating it was “very discouraging to know that DOL personnel are assisting in the process of registering NON-Citizens.”

One notable case involved a Chinese student who was registered to vote and received a ballot in the mail, despite his host family’s request to remove his name from the voter rolls. This incident underscores the potential consequences of automatic registration, especially in a state where recent elections have been decided by a single vote.

While some left-wing groups argue that non-citizen voting is rare, the impact of even one vote in closely contested races cannot be underestimated. Recent elections in Washington, such as a city council race in Rainier and a local ballot initiative in Skagit County, were decided by just one vote.

Although the bill specifies that the governor is only required to determine which agencies will offer automatic voter registration, Barrett believes this is misleading.

“They’re all going to agree. It’s Washington,” she remarked, suggesting that the implementation of the bill will be widespread across state agencies.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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