The campaign for I-126—which could have resulted in thousands of eligible Washingtonians being blocked from voting—did not secure enough signatures to qualify for consideration this legislative session.

Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, the initiative’s sponsor, conceded earlier this month that the campaign had not generated enough signatures to meet the approximately 309,000 required by law to be validated.

I-126 would have required Washington voters to have an enhanced driver’s license/ID or provide other in-person proof of citizenship. Without that documentation, voters would have been required to appear in person at their county auditor’s office to prove their citizenship under a specified timeline or be removed from the rolls.

“The League is pleased that Washingtonians did not respond to initiative I-126,” said League state President Karen Crowley. “We all want our elections to be accurate, secure and transparent, but this effort offered nothing toward that end.”

Had the campaign been successful, the measure would have gone to the Legislature, whose members could have adopted it as written; sent it to the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide; or approved an alternative initiative for the November 2026 ballot that would have appeared next to the original.

Walsh also announced he plans another campaign to gather signatures on a new petition for an initiative to the voters for the November 2026 election. That initiative reportedly will be nearly identical, but proponents must start over in gathering signatures.

“You can be sure the League will be back in opposition if this effort to silence thousands of eligible voters is resurrected,” Crowley added.