Letter: A misleading headline about a misleading initiative

Battle Ground resident Gary Obermeyer says the GOP/Walsh proposal would not strengthen election integrity — it would burden existing, lawful voters

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Paul Valencia’s Nov. 17 story opens with a misleading headline, referring to “the state’s voter ID initiative.” Initiative 26-126 is a partisan GOP campaign led by Rep. Jim Walsh, built on the unsupported claim that large numbers of non-citizens are voting and that “restoring trust” requires new barriers to voting.

The facts show otherwise. Washington already requires every voter-registration applicant to attest to U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury. Violations are a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine (RCW 29A.84.130). In addition, the state maintains a strong system for cross-checking and verifying voter data. There is no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting.

The GOP/Walsh proposal would not strengthen election integrity — it would burden existing, lawful voters. Under IL-26-126, anyone without an Enhanced ID would have to make an appointment with the county auditor, appear in person, and present documentary proof of citizenship just to keep their current registration. This requirement would fall hardest on elderly voters, low-income residents, rural communities, naturalized citizens, people who changed their names after marriage, Puerto Rico–born U.S. citizens, and anyone with older or technically non-compliant birth records.

Walsh has publicly acknowledged that this initiative is “the first step.” The end goal is to eliminate Washington’s vote-by-mail system and force a return to in-person voting lines — a dramatic rollback of a system that has served voters well for decades. Petitioners must gather just over 308,000 valid signatures by January 2, 2026, to place this on the 2026 ballot, and any qualification would almost certainly trigger legal challenges.

In the meantime, we should call this initiative what it is: a partisan effort to restrict access to the ballot. Despite claims to the contrary, Initiative 26-126 functions as voter suppression — plain and simple.

Gary Obermeyer
Battle Ground