Steve Hobbs

Steve Hobbs

Role at the time: Washington secretary of state

Statement summary

Hobbs criticizes adding uncertainty about voter eligibility while delayed postmarks already cause ballot rejections.

“At a time when thousands of Washington voters already face ballot rejections due to delayed postmarks, our focus should be on ensuring every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote, not creating additional uncertainty about their eligibility,”

Steve Hobbs

Role at the time: Washington Secretary of State, submitting comments to the U.S. Postal Service

Statement summary

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs told the Postal Service that he opposes its proposed ballot-mail rule, calling both the rule and the executive order behind it unconstitutional intrusions on state authority over elections. He said there is insufficient time to implement the rule and that USPS should withdraw it.

“I oppose USPS’s proposed rule for handling ballot mail in federal elections in alignment with Executive Order 14399 regarding elections. There are several reasons the proposed rule is unnecessary and unconstitutional. The executive order on which this proposed rule is based and the proposed rule itself are unconstitutional intrusions on state authority over elections and also violate the constitutional separation of powers. A court recently agreed that the executive order’s directions to USPS were unlawful, and the USPS has no constitutional authority to interfere with state regulation of the time, place, and manner of holding elections. The court specifically forbid the USPS from proposing or implementing rules outlined in the executive order for the November 3, 2026 election and all earlier elections. The USPS should withdraw the proposed rule. To start, there is insufficient time to implement the rule, which would be a financial burden on an electoral system that currently functions well despite limited resources.”