Secretary of State addresses concerns regarding third-party canvassers in Washington counties
OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State has received multiple reports of third-party canvassers presenting themselves as elections officials and going door-to-door across Washington asking residents about their voter information and other election-related questions.
These canvassers are not affiliated with and do not represent the Office of the Secretary of State, its Elections division, or any of Washington’s 39 county elections offices.
“I want to assure Washington voters that you are under no obligation to answer any questions from, or disclose information to, an individual or organization you are not comfortable or familiar with,” said Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. “No one from the Office of the Secretary of State or any county elections office knows or will ever ask you how you voted; nor will they visit your home to verify information.”
Each county’s voter rolls are maintained by trained county elections professionals and rely on multiple government sources, such as the Departments of Health, Licensing, and Corrections, Social Security Administration, and U.S. Postal Service, to verify and keep voters’ information as up to date as possible. Voters can also log in to VoteWA.gov to verify or update their voter registration.
“If you have questions or concerns about your voting status or registration, I encourage you to reach out to your local elections official or the Office of the Secretary of State,” Hobbs added.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of 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 also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
