A recent editorial from The Seattle Times is drawing sharp criticism from Washington State Republicans, who say the paper published false claims about a new GOP-backed voting initiative.
In an editorial titled “WA GOP takes a run at ending vote by mail,” the Seattle Times editorial board wrote that the regional initiative—formally titled IL 26-126—“would, among other things, require in-person voting on Election Day and require voters to produce either a passport, birth certificate or official immigration papers to register to vote.”
Both claims are false, according to Representative Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen), who is also the chairman of the Washington State Republican Party and the sponsor of the initiative.
“This is literally misinformation,” Walsh said in an interview on The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI. “They’re accusing us of doing things the initiative doesn’t do—and anyone can read the initiative text and see that.”
The initiative does not eliminate vote-by-mail in Washington State. It also does not require “official immigration papers” to register. Instead, IL 26-126 proposes that people registering to vote must show proof of U.S. citizenship, which can include a passport, birth certificate, or an enhanced driver’s license—a standard requirement in many other states.
“It’s simple: If you want to register to vote, you provide documentation proving you’re a citizen,” Walsh said. “That’s it. This is an important election reform meant to restore trust in our...
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