705,231 ballots returned in Washington state amid federal friction

Washington state election officials reported that 705,231 ballots had been returned as of Friday afternoon. The figure represents 13.7% of the state’s 5.15 million registered voters. This number sits slightly below the 13.9% reported at the same stage of the 2022 election.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated that election officers are managing a series of challenges from the federal government. He described the current environment as a "push and pull" with the Trump administration. Hobbs noted that the federal government has not shared as much real-time information on security threats as in past cycles.

A major shift in voting methods occurred this year. 66.4% of the returned ballots arrived via drop boxes. State and local officials had urged voters to avoid the U.S. Postal Service. They cited reduced service and faraway processing centers that prevented mail-in ballots from being postmarked on the day of receipt.

The August primary highlighted the risk of postal delays. More than 20,000 ballots were rejected in that election due to late postmarks. In the current cycle, 4,229 ballots have been challenged so far. Of those, 2,026 had signature mismatches and 1,374 were unsigned. Voters with those ballots will have the chance to cure the errors.

Federal pressure has increased in recent months. The U.S. Department of Justice threatened election officials with criminal prosecution if noncitizens vote. Federal authorities also issued more than 60 subpoenas for individual voter records. Hobbs said his office is reviewing these documents to ensure compliance with state and federal law.

The Trump administration informed King County leaders that federal monitors will be sent there. It remains unclear what role those monitors will play. Hobbs also expects federal observers to be present in counties with contested races, including the 3rd Congressional District in southwest Washington.

Jefferson County recorded the highest early turnout rate in western Washington, with 32.8% of ballots already returned. Five other counties, including San Juan, Asotin, Thurston, Lincoln, and Skagit, exceeded 20% on Friday. King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties accounted for 47% of the total ballots mailed or dropped off.

Hobbs said he hopes final turnout will exceed the 64.6% mark from 2022. He noted that voter engagement is often higher when a U.S. Senate seat is in play, which was the case four years ago. He and Attorney General Nick Brown created a guide for local officials to help them manage the new federal demands.