Federal authorities announced Monday that more than 400 noncitizens are alleged to have voted in Washington State elections, with some casting ballots for over a decade. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd stated at a press conference that these individuals, many identified as lawful permanent residents, have collectively cast upward of 1,500 ballots in state and federal elections. Floyd indicated that while no charges have been filed yet, he anticipates prosecutions in the future and has asked the state to set aside ballots for next week’s midterm election pending verification of voter eligibility.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, however, pushed back on the federal claims, asserting that voter fraud is exceptionally rare in Washington. He noted that his office is "carefully reviewing the request and assessing the information sought to ensure that our response complies with applicable state and federal laws." Hobbs also suggested the timing of the announcement, just one week before the election, was intended to "cast unfounded suspicion on the results."
Floyd’s office sent a letter to Hobbs detailing information about the 405 alleged noncitizen voters. He characterized this number as "only the tip of the iceberg." Hobbs confirmed that one of the records shared by federal authorities dated back to 1994.
These allegations emerge amidst a broader national effort by the Trump administration to investigate alleged voter fraud, particularly concerning noncitizen immigrants. President Donald Trump has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to convictions in such cases. The U.S. Department of Justice has been attempting to access Washington’s voter rolls, including sensitive information, for over a year. A federal judge previously dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to compel the state to hand over this data. Floyd contended that the state's withholding of this information has hindered investigations into alleged noncitizen voting.
Earlier this year, in July, federal authorities reportedly threatened to criminally prosecute state election officials if they failed to prevent noncitizens from voting in the upcoming federal elections. Hobbs also noted that federal authorities have recently filed more than 60 subpoenas for individual voter records.
Floyd, a Trump appointee, raised concerns about Washington’s capacity to verify voter citizenship. "Who is checking to make sure that the people registered to vote are United States citizens? Who is checking to see if noncitizens are voting in Washington?" Floyd questioned, concluding that "Sadly, the answer to those questions in Washington is no one." April Miller, the acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle, affirmed that her agency takes these allegations seriously and investigates them within federal criminal authorities.
Washington State operates a mail-in ballot system, with over 5.1 million registered voters. Voters attest to their eligibility when returning their ballots. In Federal Way, like across the state, residents submit their ballots at locations such as the drop box outside Federal Way City Hall, participating in this system. Federal authorities are scheduled to have a presence in King County on Election Day, as part of a routine deployment of Justice Department election monitors in various jurisdictions nationwide to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws. Additionally, Governor Bob Ferguson has offered to deploy members of the Washington National Guard to assist counties in protecting ballot drop boxes, an offer that at least half a dozen counties have accepted.
