Washington Secretary of State 'horrified' by State of the Union | king5.com

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said he was "horrified" by President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday.

During the speech Trump called on Congress to pass voting reforms and accused Democrats of widespread election cheating.

Trump told members of Congress, "They want to cheat, they have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat."

The president called for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, referred to the "SAVE America Act," requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, mandatory voter ID on Election Day.

He also called for and an end to vote-by-mail elections, but that is not part of the proposed legislation.

Hobbs, who attended the address as a guest of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, said Trump's remarks were troubling for democracy.

"That's horrifying to even say that because now you are setting up expectations that if the party that's directly impacted wins, then obviously they're cheating," Hobbs said.

The Secretary of State argued that the "SAVE America Act" would disenfranchise voters and create costly logistical problems for Washington counties, potentially requiring every voter in the state to re-register.

Hobbs said he would prefer the president focus on cybersecurity risks rather than making partisan claims about election integrity.

In Washington state, prospective voters currently must check a box declaring they are citizens when registering. Lying on the registration is a felony, said Hobbs.

According to the Secretary of State's office, Washington has recorded only 15 cases of a non-citizen voting since 1982.

State Republican Party Chair Rep. Jim Walsh voiced support for stricter registration requirements, saying, "It is certainly a potential for problem, and I believe it's a bigger problem than the Secretary of State is acknowledging."

Walsh backed a signature-gathering campaign for an initiative last year that would have required written proof of citizenship to register to vote. Petitions failed to get the required number of signatures to qualify.

He said he plans to try again in 2026.

"What we're asking for is a higher level of security, of an ID check when you're registering to vote," Walsh said, adding that he believes such reforms would be sufficient to keep voter rolls accurate and current.