The Washington State Republican Party (WAGOP) has put forward an initiative attempting to support election integrity and require proof of citizenship to vote.
According to the initiative, each county auditor “consult with the department of licensing to determine whether each registered voter in the county has demonstrated proof of citizenship by applying for and receiving an enhanced driver’s license or identicard” by July 1, 2027.
“If the registered voter has demonstrated proof of citizenship, the voter shall remain registered,” the document states.
If proof of citizenship is not demonstrated 14 days prior to the 2027 general election, the voter registration must be canceled and a notice sent to the voter. “The notice must inform the voter that the voter’s registration is canceled and provide instructions for registering to vote,” the initiative reads.
WAGOP Chairman and State Representative Jim Walsh (R) told KOMO News that the initiative is necessary “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.”
“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, adding, “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. 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.”
