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Public disputes concerning the 2026 U.S. midterm election cycle, including campaigns, candidates, conventions, advertising, endorsements, and election-related policy promises.
Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.
2 statements on this page. Dates: June 26, 2026 to October 26, 2026
2 matching statements. Dates: June 26, 2026 to October 26, 2026
2 published statements. Dates: June 26, 2026 to October 26, 2026
2 published statements. Dates: June 26, 2026 to October 26, 2026
2 statements on this page. Dates: June 26, 2026 to October 26, 2026
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,”
Hobbs disputes the request's timing and the reliability of the matching process and invokes voter privacy and due process.
Relative to the federal request, Hobbs criticizes creating additional uncertainty about eligible voters' right to vote.
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.”
The Washington Secretary of State's posting of the comments Hobbs submitted to the Postal Service on its proposed ballot-mail rule.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)The reference point is implementing the mandatory USPS ballot-mail requirements for the 2026 election. Hobbs says he opposes the proposed rule, calls it and the executive order behind it unconstitutional intrusions on state authority, says there is insufficient time to implement it, and asks USPS to withdraw it. That rejects the requirements outright, so we labeled it Condemned.
