Washington removes residency requirement for voter registration

[rangerrebew]

 
AMERICAN NEWS Jul 4, 2024
Washington removes residency requirement for voter registration

People registering to vote are no longer required to have been a resident of Washington for 30 days and the requirement has already been removed from voter registration forms.
 
 
Ari Hoffman
Seattle WA
Jul 4, 2024
 

Washington’s Secretary of State (SOS) has removed a residency requirement for registering to vote enshrined in the state’s Constitution, according to a new report. The Center Square reported that the agency rulemaking occurred when Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson agreed to a consent decree to settle a 2023 lawsuit arguing that the constitutional provision violated federal law due to a 2018 state law.

Currently, according to the state’s Constitution, to register to vote, a person must be a resident of Washington for 30 days “immediately preceding the election at which they offer to vote.”
 
In 2023, a lawsuit was filed by the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans arguing that this residency requirement violated the US Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970, which prohibit residency requirements for voters in federal elections. The state Legislature enacted Senate Bill 6021 in 2018, allowing Washingtonians to register to vote on Election Day as late as 8 pm.

https://thepostmillennial.com/washington-removes-residency-requirement-for-voter-registration#google_vignette

[rangerrebew]

Most assuredly, this slams the door on any corruption voting in Washington.

[Smokin Joe]

Wait. I thought the US Constitution required the State Legislatures to set the rules, not the Secretary of State.

It is also the root reason why the 2020 election was invalid.

[Hoodat]

Currently, according to the state’s Constitution, to register to vote, a person must be a resident of Washington for 30 days “immediately preceding the election at which they offer to vote.”
 
In 2023, a lawsuit was filed by the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans arguing that this residency requirement violated the US Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970, which prohibit residency requirements for voters in federal elections. The state Legislature enacted Senate Bill 6021 in 2018, allowing Washingtonians to register to vote on Election Day as late as 8 pm.

Here is the wording of the 1970 Voting Rights Act amendments:

(c) Prohibition of denial of right to vote because of durational residency requirement or absentee balloting
No citizen of the United States who is otherwise qualified to vote in any election for President and Vice President shall be denied the right to vote for electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, in such election because of the failure of such citizen to comply with any durational residency requirement of such State or political subdivision; nor shall any citizen of the United States be denied the right to vote for electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, in such election because of the failure of such citizen to be physically present in such State or political subdivision at the time of such election, if such citizen shall have complied with the requirements prescribed by the law of such State or political subdivision providing for the casting of absentee ballots in such election.

(d) Registration: time for application; absentee balloting: time of application and return of ballots
For the purposes of this section, each State shall provide by law for the registration or other means of qualification of all duly qualified residents of such State who apply, not later than thirty days immediately prior to any presidential election, for registration or qualification to vote for the choice of electors for President and Vice President or for President and Vice President in such election; and each State shall provide by law for the casting of absentee ballots for the choice of electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, by all duly qualified residents of such State who may be absent from their election district or unit in such State on the day such election is held and who have applied therefor not later than seven days immediately prior to such election and have returned such ballots to the appropriate election official of such State not later than the time of closing of the polls in such State on the day of such election.

(e) Change of residence; voting in person or by absentee ballot in State of prior residence
If any citizen of the United States who is otherwise qualified to vote in any State or political subdivision in any election for President and Vice President has begun residence in such State or political subdivision after the thirtieth day next preceding such election and, for that reason, does not satisfy the registration requirements of such State or political subdivision he shall be allowed to vote for the choice of electors for President and Vice President, or for President and Vice President, in such election, (1) in person in the State or political subdivision in which he resided immediately prior to his removal if he had satisfied, as of the date of his change of residence, the requirements to vote in that State or political subdivision, or (2) by absentee ballot in the State or political subdivision in which he resided immediately prior to his removal if he satisfies, but for his nonresident status and the reason for his absence, the requirements for absentee voting in that State or political subdivision.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title52-section10502

The Washington Secretary of State is dead wrong here.