The Short Answer: Secretary Steve Hobbs
The chief election official in Washington is the Secretary of State, and the current officeholder is Steve Hobbs. A Democrat, Hobbs was first appointed to the position by Governor Jay Inslee in November 2021 and subsequently won a special election in 2022 to retain the office. He is the first Democrat to hold the position in Washington since 1965 and the state's first person of color to serve as Secretary of State. While many states have a chief election official, the role in Washington carries a unique weight due to the state's pioneering status as an all-vote-by-mail state. This means that unlike in many other parts of the country, every registered voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail for every election, a system the Secretary of State oversees.
What the Job Actually Entails
Being the chief election officer is far more than a ceremonial title. The Secretary of State has a broad range of constitutional and statutory duties directly impacting every voter. The office supervises all state and local elections, which includes certifying the final results of primaries and general elections. They are responsible for producing and distributing the state's official voter pamphlet, filing and verifying initiatives and referendums, and maintaining the statewide voter registration database, known as VoteWA. While individual county auditors handle the day-to-day work of preparing and counting ballots, the Secretary of State's office provides oversight, sets standards, and accredits the procedures used by all 39 counties. Beyond elections, the office is also the state's chief corporations officer, keeper of the State Seal, and supervisor of the State Archives.
A Profile in Service
Steve Hobbs brings a distinctive background to the office. Born in Everett, Washington, he is a longtime resident of the state with deep roots in Snohomish County. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington. Before becoming Secretary of State, Hobbs served for nearly 15 years in the Washington State Senate, where he chaired the Transportation Committee and built a reputation for bipartisanship. Perhaps most notably, Hobbs has served in the U.S. Army and Washington Army National Guard for over three decades, currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His military career includes tours in Kosovo and Iraq and commanding a COVID-19 response task force at the height of the pandemic. He has stated that his military studies in cyberattacks and information warfare at the Defense Information School prepared him for the modern security challenges facing election administrators.
Overseeing a Vote-By-Mail Pioneer
Washington has been a leader in mail-in voting, a process that began in the 1980s and culminated in it becoming a fully vote-by-mail state in 2011. This system, which boasts higher turnout and convenience, also presents unique administrative challenges. The Secretary of State's office is central to ensuring this system runs smoothly and securely. A key part of this is the signature verification process. When a ballot is returned, the signature on the envelope is compared to the one on file. If there is a mismatch or a signature is missing, the ballot is "challenged." The Secretary's office and county auditors have established procedures for notifying voters and allowing them to "cure" the issue so their vote can be counted. In an age of disinformation, Hobbs has focused on voter education and increasing the cybersecurity readiness of state and county election systems to protect the integrity of this well-established process.
