OLYMPIA — On Friday, May 29, the U.S. Postal Service released a proposed rule for handling ballot mail in federal elections in alignment with Executive Order 14399 regarding elections.
“This is an unnecessary rule and does nothing to provide security in our elections. We’ll continue to evaluate and provide feedback to the USPS,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Once again, we’re seeing federal overreach that threatens to undermine the rights of eligible voters and override states’ authority over elections. This is clearly another attempt by the Trump administration to exercise authority they don’t have. The United States Constitution is clear that the authority to determine the time, place, and manner of elections lies with the states and Congress, not the president. Even Congress’s authority over elections is limited.
“I will continue to defend our state’s constitutional role in administering elections.”
The proposed rule will be posted for public comment on June 2, 2026 and comments are due by July 2, 2026.
The Office of the Secretary of State is committed to protecting voters’ rights and will continue to administer free, fair, and accessible elections. Updates will be posted to the Federal Impacts on Washington State Elections web page when more information is available.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime and the Civic Engagement Program to increase governmental trust and participation for all Washingtonians.