Olympia, Washington

Federal prosecutors asked Washington election officials to set aside ballots from roughly 405 voters they suspect registered without citizenship, accounting for about 1,500 cast ballots, and said more names may follow before Election Day. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs confirmed his office is reviewing the demand, which follows about 60 federal subpoenas for voter records over the past month. Hobbs has called the DOJ's data "deeply flawed," noting citizens appear on the list and most flagged voters are unregistered or inactive, and says withholding ballots without individualized proof would likely be unlawful. No charges have been filed.

A similar, larger fight is underway in California, where a federal judge rejected a DOJ demand to sequester roughly 20,000 disputed ballots but appointed a special master to vet the list, which both sides agree includes citizens. The DOJ has since subpoenaed California election officials and appealed to the 9th Circuit. Alaska has faced comparable demands.

Washington's Public Disclosure Commission said it will stop enforcing the state's $7,500 cap on individual donations to political action committees during the final three weeks before an election. The cap had applied from Oct. 13 through Election Day, Nov. 3. Commissioners voted Thursday and announced the change Friday, after ballots had already gone out to voters. Direct contribution limits to candidates remain unchanged; only the restriction on large late donations to PACs is affected.

The timing raises the stakes for five contested Washington Supreme Court seats and Democrats' push for legislative supermajorities, since PACs can now accept unlimited sums from single donors in the campaign's closing days. Large contributions must still be publicly reported, generally within 48 hours, though officials acknowledge some donations may not surface until after votes are counted. The PDC said it acted over constitutional concerns about the cap's enforceability, not political considerations.

Washington state and local officials are drafting legislation to close "gaps" in the state's arson law, which currently punishes offenders the same regardless of how much destruction they cause. The effort follows a devastating wildfire season that destroyed hundreds of Spokane homes and displaced roughly 65,000 residents, including the Old Trails fire that caused more than $1 billion in damage and left Aaron Farinacci facing first-degree arson charges and a federal indictment.

Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam says current law ties charges to the number of fires set rather than the scale of destruction, meaning an arsonist who burns one building or 100 faces the same single count. He wants an aggravated arson statute similar to those in California and Oregon, which impose harsher penalties based on damage totals or number of structures destroyed. State Sen. Marcus Riccelli plans to sponsor the bill alongside Attorney General Nick Brown's office ahead of the legislative session beginning in January 2027, as part of a broader package of wildfire-related proposals, including a separate rebuilding tax rebate already backed by Gov. Bob Ferguson.

Washington voters will decide in November whether transgender athletes can continue competing in girls' K-12 sports under Initiative Measure No. IL26-638. The measure would require school districts to bar "biologically male students" from girls' sports and mandate that students submit health-provider documentation of biological sex based on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or testosterone levels to compete. The Legislature declined to act on the initiative during the 2026 session, sending it directly to the ballot instead.

Supporters, including Let's Go Washington, argue the measure simply restores a sex checkbox removed from sports physical forms in 2019 and protects fairness in girls' athletics. Opponents, including physicians, say the language could force invasive exams or costly blood and chromosome testing, disproportionately burdening girls without long-standing doctor relationships. State officials estimate five to 10 transgender athletes compete among more than 200,000 student-athletes statewide. Washington currently allows participation consistent with gender identity. Similar restrictions exist in 27 states, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that such state laws do not violate the 14th Amendment or Title IX, though it did not mandate them.

A federal judge has extended a preliminary injunction blocking new U.S. Postal Service rules for mail-in ballots, keeping Washington state's voting procedures unchanged for the November midterm election. The rules stemmed from a March executive order signed by President Donald Trump aimed at restricting mail-in voting, which prompted USPS to propose changes such as new barcoded envelopes for mail-in ballots.

Washington, joined by 25 other states, sued arguing the changes were impractical to implement before the election. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani sided with the states, pausing enforcement while litigation continues. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state's midterm election will remain safe, secure, and accessible, with ballots set to be mailed starting Oct. 16. The case is part of a broader legal fight over mail-in voting rules that could still affect procedures nationwide depending on how the litigation is resolved.

More than 300 Washington state employees rallied at the Capitol in Olympia on Saturday, the second walkout in a week, demanding that Gov. Bob Ferguson's administration approve fairer union contracts. Workers, including child welfare staff and disability care providers, say workloads have become unsustainable. Washington Federation of State Employees president Mike Yestramski said negotiators have agreed on minor points but remain far apart on major issues, including pay raises, workplace standards, and rules governing artificial intelligence use.

The dispute unfolds against a backdrop of state budget strain that predates Ferguson's term, compounded by federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. Ferguson has directed agencies to submit lean budget requests ahead of the legislative session starting in January. A Ferguson spokesperson said the administration respects state workers and is aiming for a balanced budget that protects core services. Union and state negotiators last met Friday and are scheduled to resume talks Thursday.

Washington state and local governments are paying record sums to settle lawsuits, prompting a legislative advisory committee to study ways to curb the growth. The state paid $537 million in settlements and verdicts between July 2025 and June 2026, up from about $500 million the prior year and just $100 million in 2020-21, plus $76 million in legal defense costs last fiscal year. Most claims stem from decades-old misconduct tied to the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Local governments are also strained: Spokane Valley recently agreed to a $3 million settlement over a fatal crash, and a jury awarded $17 million to hazing victims at Mead School District. County risk-pool claims have risen more than 60% since 2021.

The tort study committee, made up of attorneys, victim advocates and government officials, is drafting recommendations — including limiting the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims, narrowing liability standards and capping attorney fee percentages — due by October 1. A similar reform bill stalled in the House earlier this year. Washington has no cap on jury-awarded damages against government entities, unlike at least 33 other states, following a 1989 state Supreme Court ruling.