||| FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WASHINGTON |||
On Tuesday, President Trump issued an executive order on elections, which includes the following actions:
- Requires the Election Assistance Commission to add documentary proof of citizenship to the federal voter registration form.
- Requires states to access databases to verify eligibility.
- Instructs the attorney general and DOGE to review voter registration databases.
- Requires that all ballots be counted on Election Day.
The League of Women Voters of Washington strongly opposes President Trump’s executive order. It will damage Washington state’s vote-by-mail election system and introduce chaos to our well-functioning system. The League notes the following potential impacts on Washington’s elections:
Proof of Citizenship Requirement: This order could disenfranchise millions of Washingtonians who lack passports (over 2.7 million1), have name changes due to marriage (over 1.5 million2), or lack enhanced driver’s licenses or ID cards (78% in 20243).
Ballot Deadline Restrictions: Washington’s vote-by-mail system ensures all ballots postmarked by Election Day are counted. Changing this common-sense process would unfairly penalize voters, especially in rural areas.
Federal Oversight of Voter Rolls: Washington already maintains a secure, statewide voter database.4 The EO would introduce unnecessary federal interference by DOGE, undermining election integrity.
The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement about the impact nationally:
- SAVE Act Tables, The Center for American Progress
- SAVE Act Tables, The Center for American Progress
- Getting There: Most Washington IDs won’t fly in a year, state officials say, urging people to get their enhanced licenses for airplane travel, The Spokesman Review, 5.13.2024.
- Washington State Voter Registration Database (VRDB) | WA Secretary of State
The League of Women Voters of Washington is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. With over 100 years of experience, the League is one of America’s oldest and most trusted civic nonprofit organizations.
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Thank you LWVSJ for taking this strong stand against President Trump’s executive orders on elections. I also appreciate the listing of the potential impacts in this article.
Retired senior Staff Chief Engineer for WSF and No1 when we finished construction of the 3 Jumbo Mark II ferries. My vessel was the MV Wenatchee. I am retired now and live in Hawaii.
Like many of the current president’s executive orders, this one is patently illegal and will be ruled out by the courts. Congress, not the president, makes the laws, and the president is Constitutionally bound to uphold them — although as Shakespeare wrote, this is “a rule honored (by this president) more in the breach than in the observance.” And the individual states get to determine the processes of their elections.
We have to do something about this lawless chief executive.