OLYMPIA – Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs called out the presidential administration’s action to place members of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) on administrative leave at a time when threats from cybercriminals and nation states to state and local elections grow.
Speaking from his State Capitol office in Olympia on Wednesday, Hobbs urged the state legislature to fill in budget gaps to fund key election security programs, including voter education efforts designed to strengthen public trust.
“Election security is not a partisan issue,” Hobbs said. “Both Democratic and Republican secretaries of state have raised concerns over these sudden federal changes. Every elected leader — from city councils to the presidency — depends on a fair, free, and secure election process.”
Hobbs said he sent a letter to the Washington state congressional delegation, urging them to take immediate action and outlined steps necessary to reinforce election security in the state. Read the full letter here.
“The threats to our elections are real and growing,” Hobbs said. “This is not the time to weaken our defenses. Now more than ever, we must work together to ensure our elections remain safe, resilient, and worthy of the public’s trust.”
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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 also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.