Washington is a sanctuary state.
Washington state is one of many that allow illegals driver’s licenses. Driver’s license signatures are used as verification for voter ID. It's illegal for a non-citizen to vote, but since when do illegal non-citizens care about what is and what isn't legal?
Washington state’s status as a sanctuary state, combined with its policies on driver’s licenses and voter registration, raises legit questions about the voting process — especially when Washington is a sanctuary state by policy, not just a label.
In 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed laws limiting state and local cooperation with ICE — cops and government workers can’t ask about immigration status unless it’s tied to a criminal probe. That’s the backbone: less enforcement, more protection for undocumented folks.
Add to that, since 2018, the state’s been issuing driver’s licenses to anyone who can prove identity and residency, no citizenship required. House Bill 1445 lets you use foreign passports or birth certificates, so undocumented immigrants can legally drive.
By March 2023, over 200,000 had these licenses. Voters in Washington’s got automatic voter registration (AVR) tied to driver’s licenses — get an enhanced license (which requires citizenship proof) or renew a standard one, and you’re opted in unless you say no.
The catch? Standard licenses don’t need citizenship, and there’s no hard check at the DMV to stop non-citizens from slipping through. You sign a form saying you’re a citizen under penalty of perjury — a Class C felony if you lie, up to $10,000 and five years in prison.
But enforcement’s downstream: the Secretary of State doesn’t verify citizenship upfront, only after registration’s done. Audits catch mistakes later, like the 2023 mess where “many” non-citizens got registered anyway, some even voted, per reports from The Center Square. Numbers are fuzzy — county officials call it “rare,” but no one’s got a full count.
Federal law says illegal entry is a crime, and voting as a non-citizen is illegal, too.
Sanctuary policies don’t change that — they don’t grant immunity, just limit local help to feds. So, undocumented folks breaking those laws? Not a shock — they’ve already crossed one line; what’s another if the state’s not checking hard?
The state aiding and abetting? Washington’s not smuggling people in, but issuing licenses and tying them to AVR without tight citizenship filters does grease the wheels. Intent’s the legal hurdle — courts haven’t ruled this as “aiding” under federal statutes, but it’s most definitely a loophole critics point to.
Does it jeopardize voting? Audits — like Georgia’s 2022 check finding 1,634 non-citizen attempts over 25 years, all blocked — suggest it’s not flipping elections yet. Washington’s mail-in system and lax ID checks (signature match only) amplify the risk, though.
If thousands of non-citizens vote undetected, it could matter in tight races. So it is fair to feel voters are getting cheated when the state’s priorities seem to lean toward inclusion over airtight integrity.
Monty Winton
La Center
•••
Letters To The Editor
Readers are encouraged to express their views by writing to the editor of The Reflector. Letters are limited 500 words. Deadline is noon Thursday. Writers are limited to two letters per calendar quarter. All letters must be signed with name, address, plus phone number for verification. Items submitted are subject to editing and will become the property of this newspaper. Opinions expressed in the Letters to the Editor section of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of The Reflector or its staff.
Email: letters@thereflector.com
Mail: The Reflector, Attention: Letters to the Editor,
209 E Main St., Suite 121 Battle Ground, WA 98604
