Washington Lawmakers Face Backlash Over Voting Eligibility Bill

The Washington State Legislature recently passed legislation that conservatives warn will increase voting by non-citizens.

Senate Bill 5077 requires the governor designate state agencies to automatically register individuals to vote when they access government services. Anyone signing up for public benefits or using a state agency in Washington will have their information automatically transmitted to the Secretary of State’s office for voter registration.

The bill mirrors the federal “motor voter” law, which requires local Department of Motor Vehicle offices to automatically register people to vote in federal elections who apply for drivers licenses. It broadens that process to include state welfare agencies and offices performing naturalization ceremonies. Even individuals enrolling in health insurance through the state’s exchange will now have their information automatically transmitted to the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to facilitate voter registration. Local residents and election integrity advocates are alarmed.

“In Washington, non-citizens can take advantage of, and have access to, all of these services,” Julie Barrett, founder of Conservative Ladies of Washington says in a video opposing the legislation.

Conservative think tanks like the America First Policy Institute warn that automatic voter registration “highly increases the likelihood that non-citizens will be registered to vote.”

In Washington, that concern is not merely hypothetical. A report from The Center Square revealed that numerous illegal aliens have been registered to vote in the state, often against their will.

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