Advocacy Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Attempt to Sequester Washington State Ballots
Immigrant groups sue the Trump administration to block federal efforts to set aside 400 Washington state ballots linked to noncitizen voting claims.
POLICY WIRE — Seattle, USA — Three immigrant advocacy organizations have launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration and several federal agencies to prevent the state of Washington from setting aside hundreds of ballots.
The legal action follows a directive from federal officials demanding that Washington state sequester approximately 400 ballots which the government claims were cast by noncitizens who are not eligible to vote.
The plaintiffs characterize the federal intervention as a flagrantly unlawful and chilling ‘eleventh-hour operation’ occurring just days before the midterm elections.
The Department of Justice’s move involves requesting that state election officials isolate specific ballots the administration asserts belong to ineligible voters. This decision has drawn significant resistance from state leadership.
Secretary Hobbs rejected the federal claims of voter fraud in Washington, describing the situation as a ‘dumpster fire.’ The advocacy groups, who filed the suit late Friday night, seek to bar the federal government from further interfering in the state-run election process.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
