Washington state has been ranked near the bottom in the Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Election Integrity Scorecard, placing 46th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the conservative think tank’s latest report. The ranking has intensified debate over the state’s voter registration procedures and its longstanding vote-by-mail system.
Explainer Election Integrity in America: Safeguarding Voter Trust and Ballot Security
The scorecard’s low ranking for Washington highlights ongoing disputes over how the state verifies voter eligibility and maintains its voter rolls, with critics arguing current safeguards are insufficient and state officials defending the system’s security.
The Heritage Foundation’s report evaluates state election laws, regulations, and procedures across 15 categories, including voter identification, voter-registration list maintenance, documentary and citizenship verification, absentee-ballot rules, and post-election audits. In its September 2026 update, Heritage increased the weight given to proof-of-citizenship and voter-list maintenance, areas where Washington scored poorly. The state received low marks in most categories, with the report finding Washington lacking in nearly every field it assessed.
Criticism of Registration and Verification
Washington Republican Party Chairman and state Rep. Jim Walsh has repeatedly criticized the state’s voter-registration system, arguing it does not require adequate proof of citizenship. “There is no proof when people register to vote,” Walsh said, contending that the system relies only on a self-affirmation checkbox. He has pushed for legislation and initiatives to require documentation of citizenship and strengthen maintenance of voter-registration databases, but said such efforts have struggled to gain traction.
Walsh also criticized Washington’s automatic voter registration, which allows people to be registered through interactions with state agencies. He argued that this process does not sufficiently verify citizenship status. “If mailing lists aren't well maintained, thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of legal ballots are sent out to people who aren't there,” Walsh said. “Mail-in can be more secure, but the system in Washington isn't secure.”
“There’s a mistaken belief there is proof of citizenship in Washington. All there is is a checked box, saying 'I am a legal voter.'”
— Jim Walsh, Washington Republican Party Chairman and state representative
Walsh emphasized that his concerns are not an attack on mail voting itself, but rather a call for stronger safeguards. “If you like it, you want the system to be more secure so your ballot counts,” he said.
State Officials Defend Election Security
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has disputed the Heritage Foundation’s characterization of the state’s election system. Hobbs stated that Washington has a “proven track record” of maintaining secure and accurate voter rolls, and that the state’s list-maintenance practices comply with state law, the federal Help America Vote Act, and the National Voter Registration Act. In a statement, Hobbs noted that documented voter fraud is rare in Washington, with only five cases identified between 2008 and 2025 out of approximately 90 million ballots cast during that period.
The Secretary of State’s office responded to the Heritage report by noting that several of its criteria have been found unlawful or are currently in legal dispute. The office said it remains committed to protecting voters’ rights and administering free, fair, and accessible elections. “Options for voters to register, update their registration, or submit their ballot make elections more accessible to eligible voters and encourage participation in elections,” the office said in an email to The Center Square. The agency also highlighted investments in election infrastructure and layered security measures, as detailed on its official website.
Voter Roll Maintenance and Federal Scrutiny
Washington law requires the Secretary of State to maintain a centralized statewide voter-registration database, coordinating with agencies such as the Department of Licensing, Department of Corrections, and Department of Health. The database is updated monthly, and state law mandates ongoing efforts to detect duplicate registrations and ineligible voters. The Heritage Foundation’s report did give Washington 18 out of 21 points for the accuracy of its voter registration lists, but Walsh argued that more aggressive action is needed to identify people who have died, moved, or become ineligible.
The debate over election integrity in Washington comes as the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to launch voter fraud investigations in Washington and eight other states. Secretary Hobbs criticized the federal move, saying his office was not contacted and calling the investigations a waste of taxpayer dollars, given the rarity of voter fraud in the state. Hobbs said state and county officials remain focused on administering a secure and fair November election, and that transparency and accessibility remain priorities for his office.
Walsh argued that greater voter participation and more rigorous quality control of voter rolls are needed to address concerns about election security. “The answer is more voting, more involvement, to get people to fix these problems into office,” he said.
