705,000 Washington voters return ballots as federal friction rises

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs reported that 705,231 ballots had been returned as of Friday afternoon, representing 13.7% of the state’s 5.15 million registered voters. This pace lags slightly behind the 13.9% recorded at the same stage four years ago. Hobbs stated he does not expect final turnout to exceed the 64.6% mark from the 2022 election, noting that the current cycle lacks a high-profile statewide contest like the Senate race that drove engagement in the previous cycle.

Drop boxes have become the dominant method for early ballot submission, accounting for 66.4% of returned ballots. Jefferson County led the state with 32.8% of ballots in hand, while San Juan, Asotin, Thurston, Lincoln, and Skagit counties all exceeded the 20% threshold. The three most populous counties, King, Snohomish, and Pierce, contributed 47% of the total mailed or dropped-off ballots due to their sheer population size.

State officials have urged voters to avoid the U.S. Postal Service for ballot return because of reduced service and distant processing centers. More than 20,000 ballots were rejected in the August primary for late postmarks. To mitigate this risk, Hobbs advised voters mailing ballots to do so at least one week before Election Day or to visit a local post office next week to request a postmark on the spot. He noted that rural counties saw higher rejection rates this year compared to the 2024 primary.

Challenges to individual ballots are rising, with 4,229 ballots flagged so far. Of those, 2,026 had mismatched signatures and 1,374 lacked signatures entirely. Voters with these issues will receive a chance to cure the errors to ensure their ballots are counted. Meanwhile, federal authorities have issued more than 60 subpoenas for records of individual voters in recent weeks. Hobbs said his office is reviewing each request to ensure compliance with state and federal due process laws.

Hobbs described the federal government’s approach as a constant push and pull, citing a DOJ threat to criminally prosecute election officials if noncitizens vote. He noted that the federal government has shared less real-time security information this cycle than in past years. A classified briefing is expected soon, and Washington is part of a multistate task force monitoring for potential threats. The administration has also notified King County leaders that federal monitors will be sent, a move critics fear will interfere with the election process.

Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a legal brief opposing the federal demand to count ballots in a related California lawsuit, where the Trump administration alleges noncitizens voted. Federal observers are also anticipated in southwest Washington, home to a contested race for the 3rd Congressional District. Hobbs and Brown have issued a guide to help local election officials manage these federal interactions while the state continues to process the high volume of early ballots.

The election is scheduled for November 3. As of Friday, no final date was set for the state to complete its review of the federal subpoenas, and the timing of the classified security briefing remains unconfirmed. The Department of Justice maintains that the deployment of monitors is a routine procedure, while state officials continue to track the 4,229 challenged ballots for cure opportunities.