WA leaders issue new guidance for election workers facing potential federal inspections

The November election is less than two months away. Washington state election officials just released a new set of instructions on a topic they've never had to prepare for before what to do. Federal agents show up at local election offices. FOX 13's Frankie Thompson spoke with the secretary of state about his new guidance in Washington. Voting happens by mail, but county workers still oversee voting centers, handle ballots and maintain security. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says those systems are already proven to work yourself. We have a lot of systems in place. We check signatures, we do audits. You can see the election with your own eyes. But with increasing federal scrutiny and executive orders targeting mail in ballots, local workers asked for a clear plan. Now, Hobbs and the attorney general have released a 17 page guide for county staff because sometimes county order is not there. Um, if if maybe a eight federal agent comes in or not. And so that frontline worker needs to know what to do without panicking. The guide tells staff to always verify credentials, confirm whether federal agents have a judicial warrant and immediately alert state officials. Hobbs says it's all about making sure local staff feel prepared, not panicked. So if someone comes in there and says, well, I want to see all your records, you don't have to give them all their records until you find out who they are, identify them and if they have the proper documentation, is it a warrant? And make sure that you contact the secretary of state's office or the attorney general's office. Hobbs says state staff routinely cooperate with federal requests. But recent actions out of Washington D. C. Including President Trump's temporarily blocked executive order targeting mail in voting and changes to the U. S. Postal Service. This pushed the state to step in with extra guidance for local counties. I feel that we have been or we have been forced in this situation because the actions of the federal government. And so that's why we had to put this booklet out. Frankie Thompson, Fox 13 News.