Washington lawmaker demands DOJ audit of WA voter registration over election integrity concerns

A Washington lawmaker is demanding the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) audit the Washington State Department of Licensing’s (WADOL) implementation of the state’s voter registration laws.

State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) introduced House Joint Memorial 4007 (HJM 4007) in hopes the DOJ will address his concerns about the accuracy of Washington’s voter registration system. The Aberdeen Republican, who is also the chairman of the Washington State Republican Party, said this resolution is a necessary step to uphold election integrity and ensure transparency within Washington’s election process. 

“Election integrity is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy,” Walsh said in a press release. “The people of Washington deserve confidence that our voter registration system is secure and functioning as intended. This review is about ensuring accountability, accuracy, and transparency in our elections.”

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Guaranteeing election integrity

The basis of the initiative is a call for the DOJ to review how Washington’s motor voter law is used to register voters. 

Under the “Motor Voter Act,” citizens are automatically registered to vote when they apply for or renew their driver’s license or state ID. Washington’s law was expanded in 2018 with the Automatic Voter Registration Act, mandating that several state agencies, including the DOL, automatically register eligible individuals unless they opt out.

If approved, HJM 4007 would request that the U.S. Department of Justice conduct an audit of the process by which people obtain a driver’s license or state ID. If the audit uncovers any issues or gaps in the registration system, corrective actions would be taken to ensure that Washington’s voter registration system complies with both state and federal election laws.

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Political finger-pointing

Walsh has raised concerns that the state’s government agencies have failed to take responsibility for enforcing election laws related to voter registration. 

“In the state legislature, we’ve repeatedly heard testimony from bureaucrats at the Department of Licensing and the Secretary of State’s Office that essentially point fingers at each other for who’s responsible for making only qualified citizens register to vote in Washington,” said Walsh. “The Governor’s Office, the State Attorney General’s Office, and other state agencies have occasionally joined in that finger-pointing. What we’ve learned is that actually no one in the state government is responsible for enforcing the relevant election law. This has to stop!”

The state’s 2025 legislative session is scheduled to finish on April 27. If the resolution gains approval, it will set the stage for a potential DOJ review of Washington’s voter registration system.

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