Is That the Plan, Make Voting Harder?

You’ve got to wonder what problem these Voter proposals are really trying to solve. Washington already runs a secure vote-by-mail system. I’ve seen it work. I had a ballot sent back once because my signature didn’t match what I had on file. They called me. I fixed it, and my vote counted. That’s verification doing its job. Adding more layers, like stricter ID and documentation, doesn’t clearly improve accuracy, but it does make voting more complicated. And when you make voting more complicated, fewer people participate.

Republicans in Washington State recently put forward an initiative that would have added new requirements to voting, making the process more complex. The effort did not qualify for the ballot, but similar proposals are likely to return in future cycles.

 Initiative Measure No. IL26-126 (full text) would have required voter ID and proof of citizenship to register and vote in Washington. It does not eliminate vote-by-mail but instead tightens how voters register and how identity is verified. In a vote-by-mail state, that would still significantly change how ballots are processed and validated.

The proposal follows the same general approach as the federal SAVE Act (bill text), which seeks to add citizenship and ID requirements to voting.

IL26-126 was sponsored by Jim Walsh (official profile) in April 2026. It did not qualify for the ballot, falling short of the required ~309,000 valid signatures (typically ~380,000 are needed to account for invalids during verification).

The initiative would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, such as a birth certificate or passport. It would also introduce voter ID requirements tied to casting a ballot, shifting Washington away from its current signature-based verification system. In addition, it would require ongoing verification of voter rolls, meaning registrations could be challenged or canceled if documentation is not provided.

For voters who have changed their name through marriage or divorce, a mismatch between current identification and a birth certificate would require additional documentation to bridge the change. If that documentation is incomplete or unavailable, it could delay or complicate registration.

For seniors, some may not have easy access to original citizenship documents, and replacing them can take time and involve additional cost.

In rural areas, access to licensing offices or document services can be limited, adding friction in a system that currently works entirely by mail.

For lower-income voters, the cost of obtaining required documents, including fees and travel, can become a barrier.

Voters with small inconsistencies in their records, such as differences in spelling or the use of middle names, could face additional verification steps and a higher risk of being flagged or removed from voter rolls.

Related Local News: Mason County Auditor Steve Duenkel has proposed making Washington’s ballot verification more stringent while also testing alternatives to signature matching. In a formal “Verified Voter” pilot project approved by the state, his office proposed replacing signature verification with a system using a voter’s date of birth and driver’s license or state ID number for ballot authentication, aiming to create a more objective process and reduce errors associated with signature mismatch. Project doc

Related National News: In March 2026, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (text) that would tighten federal oversight of elections, including changes to how mail-in ballots are issued and verified. The order directs federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, to align with new voter eligibility verification systems tied to ballot distribution. While it does not explicitly eliminate mail-in voting, it links ballot delivery to pre-approved voter eligibility, rather than automatically mailing ballots to all registered voters, potentially narrowing who can vote by mail in practice.

Recap: While Jim Walsh’s IL26-126 initiative did not qualify this year, similar efforts are likely to return, potentially targeting the 2028 ballot cycle. At the national level, Donald Trump’s March 2026 Executive Order is currently tied up in court, but it reflects a broader direction of policy that could reappear in future proposals or revised actions. Locally, proposals from Steve Duenkel to tighten or replace signature verification show that these changes are being explored at multiple levels of government.

Take-Away: Whether through ID requirements or changes to signature verification, these proposals would make voting in Washington more complex than the current system. Washington’s vote-by-mail system works today, with built-in verification and correction. Adding more layers doesn’t clearly improve accuracy, but it does add friction. And when you add friction to a process like voting, the predictable result is fewer people participating. Maybe that's the plan.