If someone hands you a petition with the number IP26-500 on it, don’t pick up your pen. It’s the latest version of an initiative that would add burdensome requirements to the voter-registration rules.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, submitted an earlier version of this initiative that failed to get enough signatures. The new version needs 309,000 signatures by July 2 to be placed on the ballot in November.
IP26-500 would require all voters to either have an enhanced driver’s license or show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, in person. If you failed to meet one of those requirements, you’d have your registration put on hold, and you would not be sent your ballot or election materials.
If you don’t have an enhanced driver’s license, can you afford to get one for $103? Can you afford $165 for a passport? If you don’t have those, do you know where to find your birth certificate? You also would need your marriage license if you have changed your name.
And imagine the logistics of hundreds of voters lining up at the elections office to show proof of citizenship, and the potential cost for hiring the additional county staff to check their credentials.
There are 357,079 registered voters in Clark County. While the number with enhanced driver’s licenses is not known, 2,338 of them have no driver’s license at all, Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said.
“This proposed initiative is a solution in search of a problem,” Kimsey told the League of Women Voters of Clark County. “There is no evidence that large numbers of noncitizens are registered to vote. This proposed initiative would create an unnecessary barrier to voting for many U.S. citizens.”
Across the country, organizers are working on similar efforts to make it harder for people to register and vote. On the national level, the proposed SAVE Act would put up hurdles to voting for married women and others who have changed their names, among other burdens.
The fact is, despite claims by supporters of IP26-500, the number of noncitizens voting is miniscule. Many scientifically strong studies prove these claims are false. The independent, nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found only 30 cases of suspected noncitizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast nationwide in 2016.
More recently, the Washington Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that in 2024, fewer than 200 ballots were investigated out of nearly 5 million voters. All these ballots were caught and dealt with appropriately.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and many states – ours included – have additional laws against noncitizens voting. State and local election officials specifically keep watch for noncitizen voting. Nearly 30 years ago, Congress made the crime punishable by fines and imprisonment, and a noncitizen found voting also risks being deported.
The real threat to election security is misinformation and disinformation. Campaigns to spread false news and amplify conspiracy theories are happening with rapid-fire speed and massive reach. The League of Women Voters and our partners urge you not to listen to the lies.
Seek out reliable, unbiased news sources. Decline to sign petitions like IP26-500, and vote “no” if it appears on your ballot in November.
Kathryn Hobbie is a board member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County.