Article by Robbie Soltz

On September 8, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) posted a letter to our Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs. In this letter, DOJ directed his office to provide ALL fields of Washington’s voter registration list. Many other states also received this letter. Washington law specifies that the registrant’s name, address, year of birth and voting history are disclosable to the public. Protected (non-disclosable) information includes the last four digits of your social security number, your driver’s license number and your full date of birth. Knowing that revealing these protected sources could expose registrants to false claims of voter fraud or remove eligible voters from the rolls entirely, Secretary Hobbs refused to comply. In doing so, he is protecting the voters in our State. Further, his legal position is strong as he has the backing of the State governor and the State AG.

The states have long protected voter privacy. The DOJ’s demands represent a dangerous federal overreach that threatens election security and public trust. The League of Women Voters, Campaign Legal Center, and the Brennan Center are working together against the DOJ’s similar lawsuits in Maine, New York and Oregon. The League is also active in additional suits where the DOJ has sued California, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Please join us, your Kittitas County local League of Women Voters, in applauding Secretary Hobbs for standing up, telling the truth and doing his best in protecting the voters of Washington.

Co-published by the Ellensburg Daily Record Newspaper on January 3, 2026. Robbie Soltz is a retired University Instructor and a former State and National Executive Employee. She is currently President of the Kittitas County League of Women Voters and a Member of the Kittitas County Water Conservation Board. She relishes Water Resource Management, STEM education her grandchildren, horses, cats and beloved husband Dave, as well as living in Northeastern Kittitas County, Washington.