Secretary of state to discuss election security in Coupeville
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs will speak in Coupeville Thursday about election security, mail voting and challenges facing the state’s election system ahead of the November midterm election.
Hobbs will be the guest speaker at a free public forum hosted by the Whidbey Island Democracy Club at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Coupeville Recreation Hall.
The secretary of state, Washington’s top election official, is expected to discuss election security as well as recent legal battles between Washington and the federal government over vote-by-mail requirements, according to a press release from the Democracy Club.
Washington joined a coalition of states last month in challenging new U.S. Postal Service requirements for mail ballots. The requirements would have forced states to provide voter information to the Postal Service and required election officials to use federally approved ballot envelopes and other procedures.
Federal courts blocked the requirements from taking effect ahead of the Nov. 3 election. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to allow the restrictions to take effect for the midterms while the litigation continues.
Hobbs is also expected to discuss an increase in ballots rejected because they were returned too late.
More than 20,000 ballots from Washington’s August primary weren’t counted because they were received or postmarked too late. Election officials have raised concerns about changes in Postal Service operations that can delay when mail receives a postmark, particularly in rural areas.
State election officials are encouraging voters who use the mail to return their ballots more than a week before Election Day. Voters can also use ballot drop boxes through 8 p.m. on Election Day.
“We are honored to host Secretary Hobbs here on Whidbey,” Whidbey Island Democracy Club Chair Kim Drury said in the press release.
The Whidbey Island Democracy Club was formed in 2003 to promote social connections and educational opportunities involving democratic values and civic action, according to the organization.
The forum begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Coupeville Recreation Hall, 901 NW Alexander St. It is free and open to the public.