US attorneys allege 405 non-citizens voted in Washington; secretary of state pushes back

Hobbs cites 15 such cases since 1982 and says the pre-election announcement is meant to 'cast unfounded suspicion on the results'

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Follow this storyHear when it moves

Federal prosecutors in Washington state alleged Monday that 405 non-citizens have registered to vote and cast more than 1,500 ballots in the state's elections, while Secretary of State Steve Hobbs called the announcement, made one week before the general election, an attempt to 'cast unfounded suspicion on the results.'

Federal prosecutors in Washington state alleged Monday that 405 non-citizens have registered to vote and cast more than 1,500 ballots in the state's elections. Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd of the Western District of Washington and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano of the Eastern District made the claims at a press conference in Seattle.

Floyd said the investigation undercuts the state's long-standing description of its elections as 'free, fair, and devoid of fraud.' 'People who are non-citizens are registered to vote and are voting in our state,' he said. 'We have identified over 400 non-citizens who are registered to vote and have voted in multiple elections. This is only the tip of the iceberg.'

The attorneys said the names came from a list supplied by the Department of Homeland Security, and that some individuals have voted over two decades, in some cases more than two dozen times. They did not specify the period covering the 1,500 ballots. Floyd said that without federal help, the state 'does not have the capacity or the will' to check for non-citizen voting, and he noted that Washington has refused to hand over its voter database to the White House.

Floyd and Serrano said a 'substantial number' of non-citizens have been registered to vote and receive ballots in the mail, giving the impression that voting is legal. They said they have heard from green-card holders who were unknowingly registered through the state's Motor Voter program. Floyd said the effort is not immigration enforcement and that he also wants to look into double voting and ballots returned by deceased people.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs disputed the scale of the problem. On the Oct. 22 episode of 'Inside Olympia,' he said non-citizen voting is rare, citing 15 instances between 1982 and 2025, which he called 'very few.' He said officials maintain voter rolls to remove people who are mistakenly registered and that registration alone is not illegal. In a statement Monday, Hobbs said the federal request, delivered a week before the general election, was 'no doubt intended to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.' His office said one of the records cited by the Department of Justice dates to 1994.

Hobbs pointed instead to postal delays, which he said led to more than 20,000 ballots being rejected in the August primary for late postmarks, a 32% increase from the 2024 primary.

Both Floyd and Serrano were appointed by President Donald Trump, who has often alleged widespread voter fraud without evidence. Neither has been confirmed by the Senate. Floyd's appointment is under dispute: federal judges appointed Roger Rogoff to the Western District post after the administration made no formal nomination, and the administration has fought to keep Floyd in place.

RSS

The Daily Edition

The front page in your inbox each weekday morning: the lead, the picks, and why each one earned its place.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The allegation lands one week before Washington's general election and directly challenges the state's election administration, a subject that can affect public confidence in results.
It is the latest clash between the Trump administration and Washington state over voter-roll data and election rules, with the state's top election official accusing federal prosecutors of timing the announcement to influence opinion.
Even at the claimed scale, 1,500 ballots would be a fraction of the state's 5.1 million registered voters, but the dispute is about how voter rolls are maintained and who checks them.

Background

Washington is a vote-by-mail state where residents can be registered automatically at driver-licensing offices, the 'Motor Voter' system the federal attorneys say has put non-citizens on the rolls. Non-citizen voting is a class C felony under state law, carrying fines, prison time and deportation. Separately, the U.S. attorney positions in Washington are caught in a legal fight: appointments made by the president without Senate confirmation have been challenged, and federal judges have named Roger Rogoff to the Western District post.

Key Perspectives

Neil Floyd, acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington: says his office found more than 400 non-citizens registered and voting, calls it 'the tip of the iceberg,' and says Washington 'does not have the capacity or the will' to check its own rolls. Pete Serrano, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington: joined Floyd in saying a 'substantial number' of non-citizens were registered, some unknowingly through the Motor Voter program. Steve Hobbs, Washington Secretary of State: says non-citizen voting is rare, citing 15 instances since 1982, and says the new announcement is 'no doubt intended to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.' President Donald Trump: has often alleged widespread voter fraud without evidence and has questioned vote-by-mail programs; both prosecutors are his appointees.

What to Watch

Whether the Department of Justice releases the evidence behind the claim, including the timeframe of the alleged ballots, before the general election.
The court fight over the Western District U.S. attorney position: whether Roger Rogoff or Neil Floyd ultimately runs the office.
Ballot rejection numbers this cycle, after more than 20,000 were rejected in the August primary for late postmarks.

Sources

Federal attorneys allege hundreds of non-citizens are voting in Washington elections · KUOW

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedUS attorneys allege that 405 non-citizens voted in Washington.KUOW: “They allege they have found 405 non-citizens who are registered to vote in Washington state, and who have also voted in the state.”
Partly supportedHobbs cited 15 instances of non-citizen voting since 1982.KUOW: ““If you look back all the way [from] 1982... to 2025, there have been 15 instances of non-citizens voting in the state of Washington,” Hobbs said.”
Partly supportedHobbs said the pre-election announcement was meant to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.KUOW: ““The timing of this request – one week before the General Election – is no doubt intended to cast unfounded suspicion on the results.””
SupportedFederal prosecutors alleged that the 405 non-citizens cast more than 1,500 ballots, with no timeframe specified for those ballots.KUOW: “They claimed to have found 405 non-citizens who have voted in Washington state, accounting for more than 1,500 illegal ballots cast. They did not indicate the timeframe for these violations”
SupportedFloyd said the investigation undercut Washington’s long-standing description of its elections as “free, fair, and devoid of fraud.”KUOW: ““For years, Washington state has had a mantra: Our elections are ‘free, fair, and devoid of fraud.’ But our investigation shows not all of that is true”
SupportedFloyd said, “People who are non-citizens are registered to vote and are voting in our state.”KUOW: “people who are non-citizens are registered to vote and are voting in our state”
SupportedThe attorneys said the names came from a list supplied by the Department of Homeland Security.KUOW: “According to a letter the attorneys sent to Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, they received a list of names from the Department of Homeland Security.”
Partly supportedThe attorneys said some individuals had voted for over two decades and, in some cases, more than two dozen times.KUOW: “They allege some have voted for two decades, more than a couple dozen times.”
SupportedHobbs said registration alone is not illegal.KUOW: ““There are probably a few non-citizens that are on the voter rolls. That in itself is not illegal.””
Partly supportedPostal delays led to more than 20,000 ballots being rejected for late postmarks, a 32% increase from the 2024 primary.KUOW: “Hobbs said a much more consequential and current issue for voters is cost-saving changes by the U.S. Postal Service, which resulted in more than 20,000 ballots being rejected in the August primary for late postmarks, a 32% increase from the primary in 2024.”
SupportedTrump appointed both Floyd and Serrano, and neither had been confirmed by the Senate.KUOW: “Both Floyd and Serrano were appointed to their positions by President Donald Trump... Neither Floyd or Serrano has been confirmed by the Senate”