The Walla Walla County Republican Party is collecting signatures to require proof of citizenship as part of the voter registration process in Washington.
Initiative to the Legislature 126, or IL26-126, would require voters to have an enhanced driver’s license or enhanced identicard, or present other documentation proving citizenship in person at the county auditor's office in order to register to vote.
The initiative would also cancel registrations for existing voters who don’t show documentation in person by a 2027 deadline.
"The basic concept of it is that it is making it so that only citizens are voting in our elections," said Walla Walla County Republican Party Chair Sarah Herrera.
In the current process, a person marks a box indicating they are a citizen. Registered voters also must provide a driver’s license number, state ID card number, the last four digits of their Social Security number, or an alternate form of ID before they can vote.
Jim Walsh, a state lawmaker from Aberdeen and the chair of the Washington State Republican Party who filed the initiative, told the Washington State Standard that the proposed measure "says you just can’t check a box."
The Washington State Standard reported the initiative is meant to complement an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that seeks to require states to require people to prove their citizenship to register to vote.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs recently said that executive order "included several requirements that would directly interfere with our existing election processes, which have been proven secure."
Opponents of the initiative say the requirements will deter potential new voters from registering and remove existing voters from the rolls.
Initiative to the Legislature
Signatures for the initiative can be collected through Monday, Dec. 22, when the signatures will be turned in and processed by the Office of the Secretary of State.
Statewide, supporters must turn in at least 308,911 signatures from registered voters by Jan. 2, 2026, for the initiative to be considered by the Legislature.
At that time, lawmakers could adopt the initiative as written. If it is not adopted by the Legislature, it would go on the November general election ballot in 2026.
Roxana Norouzi, executive director of OneAmerica, a statewide immigrant rights organization, said in a news release that the initiative adds barriers to voting.
“This initiative could cancel the voter registrations of many Washingtonians who are currently eligible to vote by adding confusing and onerous in-person proof-of-citizenship requirements," Norouzi said.
Herrera said a misconception is that the initiative changes vote-by-mail. It doesn’t.
“We're not trying to change the whole system. We're not trying to eradicate pieces of the way Washington works with elections. We're just trying to solidify that the people that are voting are U.S. citizens,” Herrera said. “I don't think that we're making it too difficult with this specific initiative, and I don't think it's going too lax to where there's still going to be loopholes.”
She said some people have told her they don’t want to purchase an enhanced license. That’s why there are other forms of documentation that can be provided, she said.
In addition to enhanced IDs, a passport, certificate of naturalization or birth certificate could be shown to prove citizenship.
“It gives multiple options. … Most of us have or should have those documents,” she said. “I don’t feel that’s too much to ask.”
Regarding the citizenship of current registered voters, the initiative outlines a process for county auditors to audit the voter rolls and confirm with the state Department of Licensing that voters have an enhanced driver’s license or identicard by July 1, 2027.
Voters who have those forms of ID would remain registered.
Those who don’t would need to present — in person at the auditor's office — one of the approved documents to prove their citizenship, no later than 14 days before the 2027 general election. The county auditor would notify voters they need to take this step.
Voters who don’t provide the documentation would be removed from the voting roll.
Herrera said she’d like to see a "concerted effort" to communicate with registered voters who would need to provide documentation by the 2027 deadline.
"I think that’s a reasonable timeline," she said. "We want people to be legally voting."
The Walla Walla County Republican Party is collecting signatures at local businesses, including L&G Ranch Supply True Value, 123 Pawn Shop Inc., Livit Coffee Co. and Hot Mama’s Espresso in Walla Walla and also will have the petition at its booth at Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days from Wednesday, Aug. 27, to Sunday, Aug. 31.
The Columbia County Republican Party also plans to collect signatures for the petition at the Columbia County Fair on Friday, Sept. 5, to Sunday, Sept. 7. Chair Charlotte Baker could not be reached for this story.
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