WA state GOP move to require proof of citizenship to vote in local elections

The initiative is part of a growing regional effort—aligned with the #ENDVBM (End Vote By Mail) movement—that advocates for restoring traditional election safeguards, including in-person voting, same-day vote counting, hand-counted ballots, and designating Election Day as a national holiday.

“Tighter controls on who gets to vote are part of a new initiative that could be introduced to the Washington State Legislature,” WAGOP Chairman and State Representative Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) told KOMO News. “It’s needed because in an all mail-in voting state, which Washington is, there is not the same due diligence, quality assurance mechanisms that there are in states that have conventional in-person voting.”

Under IL26-126, county auditors would be required to verify the citizenship status of everyone on the voter registration rolls. If a person’s citizenship cannot be confirmed, they would be notified and required to provide documentation, such as a US passport, birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization, or be removed from the voter rolls and no longer receive ballots.

To register to vote in Washington, individuals must currently attest that they are at least 18 years old, reside in the state, and are US citizens. Walsh said the goal of the initiative is to ensure those eligibility requirements are verified. “We want to make sure we're mailing ballots to the right people and not mailing ballots to people who aren't there anymore or shouldn't be voting in the first place,” Walsh said.

While vote-by-mail remains a popular option for many Washingtonians, with some families citing its convenience, Walsh emphasized that this particular initiative does not seek to end the practice, at least not yet. “It focuses on the voter ID, the proof of citizenship to register to vote. That's the only thing it does. It does not touch vote-by-mail mechanisms,” he said. “In the big picture, would we like to see some of those other reforms here in Washington? Yes, but we believe that the voter ID part is the first step, and we may address those others later."

The initiative aligns with broader GOP efforts to strengthen election laws across the country. The Republican National Committee recently requested information from 48 secretaries of state, including Washington’s, on how they maintain their voter databases. The national push echoes priorities set by the Trump Administration’s executive order focused on preserving election integrity. “We studied the state’s election system to find the most vulnerable parts,” said Walsh. “Then, we filed lawsuits and drafted legislation. From there, we’ve redrafted the latest citizen-led initiative.”

The WAGOP’s renewed push for election security comes as other states also move to curtail vote-by-mail options and reintroduce in-person-only voting. While Walsh and the #ENDVBM movement ultimately support those reforms, he says this initiative is strictly focused on citizenship verification.

The measure is drawing fierce opposition from state Democrats. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown dismissed the initiative as a political stunt. “We are not going to take advice on election integrity from a guy who can’t stop lying about his 2020 election loss,” he wrote in a recent post on X. “We have a secure and fair election system that respects voters’ rights, and we will use every tool we have to protect that.”

Governor Bob Ferguson echoed that sentiment in a statement: “Washington state's vote-by-mail system is convenient, safe, and secure. The state Republican Party wants to make it more difficult for Washingtonians to exercise their right to vote. We're not going to let that happen — we won't let them move us backward."

A signature-gathering campaign is underway to qualify IL26-126 for legislative consideration. If enough valid signatures are collected, the Washington State Legislature will review the initiative when it reconvenes in 2026. Lawmakers will have three options: pass it into law, send it to voters for a public vote, or introduce a competing version of the measure.