LWVWA President Karen Crowley

“Thrilled and heartened” is how LWVWA Karen Crowley’s described her feelings last week following Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs’ decision to decline a federal Department of Justice request for protected voter registration information.

“We applaud Secretary Hobbs’ very reasonable decision,” said Crowley. “The secretary asked significant and appropriate questions, and we appreciate his strong response.”

A week ago, Crowley wrote Hobbs and requested that the secretary decline the request that Washington received from Justice for statewide voter registration fields.

Crowley said the request was based on League positions that procedures should provide the voter with a maximum of convenience, simplicity and efficiency “while ensuring that the requirements of secrecy, accuracy and impartiality are maintained," said Crowley.

“In our opinion,” Crowley wrote, “the request from the Department of Justice is an unwarranted intrusion into individual voter records and violates Washington state voter protections.”

In early September, Washington was one of two to three dozen states from which the DOJ asked for statewide voter registration files.  

The requested files included driver’s license numbers, full dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, all information considered to be private. Justice officials confirmed they intended to share the information they received with the federal Department of Homeland Security, ostensibly to aid in that department’s immigration crack-down.

Meanwhile, in late September, the League of Women Voters of the United States, along with the state Leagues in Virginia and Louisiana and others filed a class action against the Trump administration’s creation of a massive database of information that the League and others believe federal officials will use to illegally open investigations and purge voter rolls.

Back in Washington state, Hobbs wrote, “As the chief elections officer of the state,I take very seriously the responsibility to safeguard highly personal voter information protected from disclosure under both Washington and federal law.”

He said the request “raises serious legal and privacy concerns.”

Hobbs’ letter also questioned Justice’s claims that various citations it identified do truly authorize the release of the private details.

In the past month, Justice has sued at least six states that have declined to provide the entirety of the information requested.

Hobbs closed by providing a link where Justice officials could request a copy of the information that has been determined to be public and appropriate to share.

By Dee Anne Finken, Local News & Democracy and Communications Portfollio Director, LWV Washington

Are new citizens getting the help they need to register?

Washington state and U.S. League leadership adamantly opposes the new federal ban announced last month that prohibits nonprofit organizations from registering naturalized citizens to vote under certain circumstances.

The prohibition issued late last month shuts the door for League members who have helped with the registration process for decades.

This development also raises questions about whether new citizens are being provided the tools they need to register to vote.

Providing voter registration forms has been a required step in the ceremonies. 

However, Spokane League member Sally Phillips, who has registered new citizens at naturalization ceremonies for at least 10 years, attended a ceremony Friday and confirmed voter registration forms were not included in the packet given to the new citizens.

She previously received an email from an official from the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services indicating that agency personnel will simply direct participants to approved government websites or facilities.

The announcement from USCIS, issued Aug. 29, prohibits nongovernmental organizations and agencies from participating in ceremonies conducted by USCIS personnel.

“USCIS aims to make administrative naturalization ceremonies positive and memorable moments in the lives of the participants,” the memo read. Going forward, that means only state or local election officials or USCIS staff will offer voter registration at the close of the ceremonies.

News outlets across the country have picked up LWVUS CEO Celina Stewart’s statement calling the move "an attempt to keep new citizens from accessing their full rights."

Stewart noted: "For decades, the League of Women Voters has been a trusted partner of both USCIS and federal courts to register new voters at naturalization ceremonies. This work has resulted in hundreds of thousands of new citizens registering to vote with League volunteers across the country."

Susan Martin, League president in San Juan County and a national expert on immigration, explained that USCIS and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, were authorized to administer the oath of allegiance to the United States in 1990, with the policy going into effect the following year. The move was designed to ease the backlog in the courts, which was leading to delays in naturalization ceremonies, she said.

But Martin explained many judges consider overseeing naturalization ceremonies one of the most joyful aspects of their work.  That, she said, is why judges retained their ability to invoke exclusive authority to administer the oath to persons residing within their jurisdiction.

Consequently, not all League members in Washington will lose the opportunity to register some newly naturalized citizens.

East of the Cascades, in counties of the United States Eastern District Court district, federal judges who conduct naturalization ceremonies continue to welcome League assistance, said Phillips of Spokane.

Phillips said about three dozen Spokane League members currently assist with registration duties in the federal courthouses.

All of the ceremonies presided over by the judges are touching, but some are even more so, she said.

“I remember the magistrate judge who first invited the League to help. He was talking to the new candidates for citizenship and he emphasized they could participate as citizens in a number of ways, including by voting and helping candidates run for office.

“He emphasized the richness of our country comes from the backgrounds these new citizens bring and their cultures.  And how they should hold onto their culture because they enrich our country that way.”

Phillips said last week that federal immigration officials told her by email, effective the end of September, that the League would no longer be notified of upcoming naturalization ceremonies officiated by USCIS staff.

However, the dates may be posted by the court. If so, League members in Spokane will continue to be present at the courthouse to answer questions and provide voter registration forms following the ceremony.

Barb Tengtio, president in Seattle King County League and who oversees voter registration there, said the USCIS Aug. 29 memo was short – but not necessarily sweet – and to the point.

“Basically, they told us, ‘Thanks very much. But we no longer need the League’s services,’” Tengtio said.

At the USCIS facility in King County, in a mammoth building in Tukwila, League members were registering about 850 new citizens a year, averaging two to four days a month, said Tengtio.

Nancy Iannucci, a Seattle member who has been registering new voters since 2018, described the joy of registered newly naturalized citizens.

“It is such a heart-warming ceremony,” she said. “It’s the end of their journey trying to become citizens but also the beginning of their journey as new citizens.”

Seattle League member Mary Figel, who has registered newly naturalized citizens alongside of Iannucci, agrees. “It is so thrilling to hear where these people are from, what they weren’t able to do.”

Receiving the right to vote is a powerful reminder of the responsibility and privilege that comes with citizenship. There is no better way to welcome a new citizen. The League will fight to make sure this right is given as required.

It's "the most significant challenge to democracy I've seen in my lifetime."

IL26-126, an initiative to the Legislature, is described on petitions as regarding “heightened voter registration requirements for applicants and currently registered voters.”

But Cynthia Stewart, LWVWA first vice president and Advocacy chair, calls IL26-126 an effort “to promote the lie that noncitizens are voting.”

Which is why League leadership has a launched “Decline to Sign,” a campaign to educate members—and, eventually, voters—about the measure, Stewart said.

The goal is to prevent proponents from collecting 309,000 signatures they need by Jan. 2, 2026, to qualify the initiative.

The proposal would require all voters to have an enhanced drivers’ license or provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person. Voters who don’t would see their registration canceled.

The initiative is one of several efforts across the country that would make both registering to vote and voting more difficult for individuals who are legally eligible. IL26-126 does not address mail-in voting, but Stewart said measures promoted elsewhere try to eliminate it.  

As an initiative to the Legislature, if proponents qualify the measure, lawmakers could adopt the legislation as written, refer it to a people’s vote in November 2026 or propose an alternative ballot initiative.

With its burdensome requirements, IL26-126 would disenfranchise a significant number of individuals who are legally eligible to vote, Stewart said.

What’s more, studies prove the incidence of noncitizens voting in Washington -- and across the country—is miniscule. The Brennan Center for Justice, for one, found of 23.5 million votes cast in 2016, only 30 cases involved suspected noncitizen voting—an incidence rate of 0.0001%.

Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The crime is punishable by fines and imprisonment of up to a year. A noncitizen found voting also risks deportation.

Moreover, the measure would be costly for cash-strapped counties to institute and manage.

The real threat to election security, Stewart said, are mis- and dis-information campaigns. “They present a graver danger.”

Click here for more information about “Decline to Sign

The League’s mission of empowering voters and defending democracy has never been more important.

A volunteer organization with more than 2,800 members in 22 counties across Washington, we work at the grassroots level on a number of fronts. Here are just a few examples of what we do:

Bring clear, objective information about voting, elections, and ballot issues. Sponsor candidate forums, encourage civic participation, and register new voters. Help community members understand civic processes and provide tools for speaking up and out about issues that matter.

Produce a full range of civics textbooks in English and Spanish for grades 3-5 and high school.

Advocate on behalf of a wide range of policy issues based on careful study and robust member debate.

And we can do more.

Your gift to the LWVWA Education Fund will help expand civic education outreach and support local community  engagement.

Your unrestricted gift to the League of Women Voters General Fund will support our advocacy across the state. You will be underwriting work to create and sustain policies that protect voting rights and strengthen Washington’s government processes. Our knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers work year-round to advance social policy, democracy, education, and environmental issues.

Your gift at any level will keep this work going. Explore our website to learn more.

We are experiencing an extraordinary assault on our constitution and institutions. Your gift today will help us meet the challenge of our times.

DONATE TODAY 

By Sasha Bentley, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Portfolio Director, LWV Washington

Every election season, many voters face the same pressing questions: When do I vote? How do I return my ballot? Can I trust what I’m reading online?  

These questions aren’t new.   

But the rise of misinformation and inaccurate assumptions about our elections systems make finding reliable answers harder than ever for many people.  

Meanwhile, county election staff throughout Washington field not just routine inquiries but also complex ones about security and ballot integrity. Small but mighty those county staff members do their best, but they can’t chase down every rumor or soothe every doubt. 

That’s where Vote411.org, which goes live Oct. 10, comes in.  

Created as a national effort by the LWVUS Education Fund, and now operating independently in all 50 states, Vote411 is a free, nonpartisan “one-stop shop” for election information.  

Since its launch in 2006, it has grown into a trusted tool where voters can check their registration, find polling places, research ballot measures, and read candidate responses that go beyond the brief statements in the voters’ pamphlet. 

The site began offering content in Spanish in 2020, thanks to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, expanding access for more community members. 

For Klickitat County Auditor Heather Jobe, Vote411 fills a real need.  

“Anytime you can get out accurate information from a reliable source, that’s awesome,” she said.  

“There’s so much misinformation out there. With Vote411, everything links back to official sources. It’s all in one place, which makes it easier for people who don’t always know where to look, or even what they’re looking for.” 

Jobe added, “We don’t have the resources to fight every piece of bad information. Tools like Vote411 help us be proactive instead of reactionary. They give voters a trusted and consistent source of information.” 

That proactive approach is at the heart of the League of Women Voters’ mission. For more than 100 years, the League has worked to empower voters and defend democracy.  

League volunteers in locals across Washington take on the work of building and maintaining the Vote411 database each election cycle: gathering candidate information, drafting questionnaires, and ensuring details remain accurate and nonpartisan. 

Beatrice Crane, a longtime League member who oversees Vote411 in Washington, knows the workload well.“There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work each cycle,” she said 

“But I love when I have a meaningful interaction with a candidate. And I know the system works; it helps voters find what they need. Vote411 is basically free advertising for a candidate, and candidates I’ve heard from really appreciate the opportunity to connect with voters.” 

That connection is especially meaningful for voters who might otherwise be left out.  

Mary Solorio, civic engagement co-director at Washington Gorge Action Programs, sees Vote411 as essential for Spanish-speaking and first-time voters.  

“Many of the people I work with are navigating the process for the first time or doing it in a second language,” she explained. “Having clear, accessible information available in Spanish, and being able to point people to one trusted site makes a huge difference. It helps new voters feel confident and empowered to participate.” 

When promoting Vote411, election staff also emphasize the urgency of voting on time. Brandie Sullivan, who has worked in elections for 18 years, emphasizes what’s at stake.  

“Sometimes people wait until the last minute and miss deadlines because they didn’t have the right information in time,” she said.  

“Resources like Vote411 help people understand why things like signatures matter, or why voting early can make a difference.” 

All content on Vote411 is free and available to all. 

LWVWA President Karen Crowley, right, with Cathy Liu Scott, immediate past president of the Snohomish County League turned out in April for a "Hands Off" rally in Snohomish.

League members from throughout Washington will turn out again for a No Kings mobilization day, this time with the League of Women Voters of the United having joined as a national partner for the Oct. 18 event. 

In an email to all members last month, LWVUS President Dianna Wynn said the decision to join the sponsoring coalition for the second nationwide event was intentionally made “to stand in solidarity with partners and stand up against hate and authoritarianism.”

Wynn said she will participate in a No Kings event in her community.

Karen Crowley, Washington state League president, applauded Wynn’s announcement and said she too plans to participate in a rally in Snohomish County, where she lives.

“The League, rightly so, has taken care to protect our reputation as a nonpartisan and independent organization,” Crowley said. “We encouraged our members to attend the first No Kings event, although we weren’t an official partner. The threats to our democracy in this moment are alarming. The League must visibly and actively stand in solidarity with all those who support the Constitution and rule of law. Please make your voice heard.”

Organizers of the first No Kings day included Indivisible and some 200 other progressive organizations^, including 50501, the American Federation of Teachers, American Civil Liberties Union, Public Citizen and MoveOn.

An estimated more than 5 million people in more than 2,100 communities across the country rallied. Additional protests took place in U.S. territories and in 20 other countries.

Wynn said the Oct. 18 event “is an opportunity to put words into action and show up in defense of democracy and as an effective ally.”

She also stressed that “the League has consistently and boldly spoken up in the face of rising authoritarianism.”

No Kings organizers stress the effort is committed to nonviolent action.  “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events,” Wynn said.

Crowley encouraged Washington League members to work with their local leadership and colleagues to coordinate participation. “The League has a long and storied reputation for standing up to defend democracy. This moment demands whole-hearted, courageous action.”

With its unprecedented step on April 17 declaring the United States faces a constitutional crisis, the League of Women Voters also unveiled its Unite and Rise 8.5 Initiative.

League leadership has determined the way forward in the wake of unceasing assaults on our democracy is nonviolent resistance and continued commitment to the nonpartisan principles that have been a bedrock of the League since its founding more than 105 years ago.

The Unite and Rise 8.5 initiative is based on findings by the Harvard University-based Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights that nonviolent protests engaging at least 3.5 percent of a population have never failed to bring about change. The center also found that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts.

This is why the League is aiming to activate 8.5 million people across the U.S. Approximately 245 million people voted in the 2024 General Election—and 3.5% of this total is 8,575,000 people, prompting the 8.5 reference.

To succeed, all Americans who value democracy and constitutional rights – Democrat, Republican or Independent--need to make their voices heard. Your voice matters and you are welcome to join the Unite and Rise initiative. You do not need to be an active voter or League member. New faces and new spirit are welcome.

Sign Up for Unite and Rise

A Multi-Pronged Approach

The initiative utilizes a multi-pronged approach, including civic education and engagement, public mobilization, partnership-building and legal advocacy, to educate voters and drive change.

To support the initiative in Washington state, the LWVWA has created a Resisting Threats to Democracy webpage that provides key information for taking action now, when your voice and efforts matter most.

The webpage provides information about rallies and protests (as well as resources at those events), about how to get ready to take action and what kind of actions you can take once you’re ready.

We need a diverse group of people taking action in many ways.

Check back often for updates.

Visit Resisting Threats
to Democracy Webpage

With activities ignited by legislators in Texas and the governor in California, League of Women Voters members across the nation are wrestling with the question of mid-cycle redistricting.

At all levels of our tri-federated structure—local, state and national—the League believes that redistricting should only happen every 10 years and be based on population. Furthermore, the process should always put communities of interest before partisan advantage.

For that reason and others, the League strongly opposes the “gerrymandering arms race” that began earlier this summer when Texas lawmakers succumbed to President Trump’s demands to redraw districts to benefit Republicans and Gov. Newsom in California responded with a push to have districts redrawn in California to benefit Democrats.

The “arms race” continues with activity and discussions elsewhere, including in Florida, New York, Nebraska, Ohio and New Jersey.

The League believes these tactics disenfranchise voters, especially Black and brown voters.

While opposing mid-cycle redistricting, the League affirms that any redistricting process must include these guarantees:

Transparency Is Vital

• All states undertaking mid-cycle redistricting must adhere to transparent, nonpartisan standards that protect voters and communities.
• Legislators and commissions must hold public hearings, release draft maps and provide clear explanations for any proposed map changes.
• All redistricting deliberations must occur in open forums, subject to state open meeting laws. Members of the public must have access to draft maps, data and decision-making processes at every stage.
• Public hearings and opportunities for feedback must be guaranteed in all affected communities. States should hold hearings in the evenings and weekends to increase access.

Communities

Legislators implementing new maps must protect people over political interests. States must avoid practices that dilute or divide communities that have been historically and continuously targeted by manipulative map-drawing:

• Majority-minority districts
• Native American reservations
• Young voters in colleges and universities
• Rural and agricultural communities

Finally, officials for the national organization officials have asserted, “If you harm our communities, the League of Women Voters will fight back in court and at the ballot box."

---

In Washington, we note the state is very unlikely to redistrict at this time. A federal lawsuit forced the redrawing of Washington legislative maps in 2024. And state lawmakers are unlikely to convene a special session to call the Redistricting Commission back into session to redo Congressional maps.

To learn more about redistricting in Washington and the League’s efforts to improve the process, join the Redistricting Reform Task Force, which meets at 2pm the third Monday of each month. Links can be found on the LWVWA event calendar.

By Kate Lunceford, LWVWA Issue Chair for Forests

A six-city, Washington tour sparking the launch of a campaign to secure constitutional protection of environmental rights in the state starts Sept. 14 in Seattle.

The Constitutional Change for a Livable Future: The Green Amendment Tour  also will stop in Olympia (Sept. 15); Vancouver (Sept. 16); Yakima (Sept. 17); Richland (Sept. 18); and Spokane (Sept. 19).

LWVWA supported the call for an amendment to the state constitution to establish protection for environmental rights during the 2023-2024 Legislature, based on the League’s positions on forests and resource management.

The amendment recognizes and elevates citizens’ rights to clean air and water and a stable climate to an inalienable standard.

Furthermore, the amendment would set a foundation for sustainable practices and reinforce the state’s responsibility to safeguard the environment for the benefit of its citizens.

The amendment would provide broad guidance that ensures thoughtful government decision-making, substantively and procedurally. It considers environmental impacts early in the process when prevention of pollution, degradation and environmental harm is most possible.

Two other states—Montana and Pennsylvania—have passed Green Amendments. In Montana. 16 youngsters—ages 2 to 18—succeeded in a lawsuit against the state—Held v. Montana—based on the amendment. The plaintiffs argued that the state's support of the fossil-fuel industry had worsened the effects of climate change on the lives and in doing so, had deprived them of their constitutional rights.

The state Supreme Court upheld the ruling last year.

The tour will feature Maya van Rossum, founder of the national nonprofit, Green Amendments: For the Generations.

Kate Lunceford, LWVWA Issue Chair for Forests, is a retired Certified Property Manager most recently with Trammell Crow Company. She owned the bakery Rudy's Patisserie in west Baltimore, MD, for 10 years. She began managing commercial property with the shopping center where one of her bakery outlets was located. Kate joined LWV of Snohomish County in 2013 where she found talented, interested people engaged in the work of strengthening democracy.

Her interest in forest issues grew out of the LWV of Snohomish County’s Tree Campaign. LWVSC is shepherding an Urban Tree Canopy Policy in the 2024 county Comprehensive Plan Update. Laws and policies governing urban trees in state law led to the question of whether trees in urban areas and in forest lands could be better managed to provide climate mitigation and biodiversity.

The League of Women Voters of Washington this summer introduced a new series of workshops in response to the constitutional crisis the national organization has declared.  

Appropriately titled Democracy Power-Ups!, the workshops are designed to provide members with added tools for speaking up and working to protect democracy. 

“The challenges facing us as a nation are grave. We want to ensure that League members—as capable as they are—have the tools and skills to respond effectively,” said Karen Crowley, state League president.

LWVUS leadership on April 17 declared a constitutional crisis, stating “the foundational principles that have sustained our democracy—checks and balances, the rule of law, free and fair elections—are under direct and sustained threat.”

The state League's initial trainings include a series of four Media & News Literacy Educational Workshops and a separate workshop on writing letters to the editor.

The media literacy workshops are all online and feature interactive, skill-based exercises for participants, according to project manager Brenda Mann Harrison. “We are at a time when it is becoming harder to know the real facts,” she said. “This training will help participants discern what is true and what is false.”

Harrison noted that League members who designed and teach the media literacy workshops have more than 40 years of combined experience in media literacy education.

At present, the online workshops are open only to League members, but Crowley said the League may make them available to the public in time. “We very easily see these as trainings that libraries, community media and civic organizations may want to share with their audiences.”

In mid-September, the League will present a workshop on writing letters to the editor. Crowley noted League members in many communities already have a reputation for being frequent letter writers. “But with the spate of unconstitutional Executive Orders, the dispatch of National Guard members to our cities and the unceasing false attacks on the validity and accuracy of elections, we believe now more than ever we need to speak out and call for adherence to our basic rights.”

The letter-writing workshop is also interactive and will be led by two professional journalists. Crowley noted that letters to the editor remain one of the most read sections of newspapers, both print and online versions.