Bill Bruch offers his insight on Senate Bill 5017

Bill Bruch 
for Clark County Today

WA State Democrats (aka “The Anyone From Anywhere Can Vote Party”) sponsored bill SSB 5017: AN ACT Relating to adopting national standards for uniformed and overseas civilian voting, including conforming amendments to existing statute – Creates very troubling new state rules pertaining to the Uniform Military and Overseas Voter Act (UMOVA) and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

As currently written, the bill would allow people born outside the U.S. who have NEVER EVEN SET FOOT OR LIVED in WA State (aka “Permanent Overseas Voters”) to vote in local elections – e.g., County Council, Commissioners, City Council, Mayors, School Boards, levies, being able to raise taxes on the locals, etc.

Yes, according to the bill, as long as these “voters”:

• Are over 18 and a United States citizen

• Have a “family member” who is (or was) eligible to vote in Washington and

• Have not registered to vote in another state

They are allowed to vote in our LOCAL ELECTIONS. What could go wrong?

This is a ridiculous and terrible policy, as this new class of “voters” could easily have no vested interest in the state or community they are now allowed to vote in.

Additionally, with no real, valid way to prove the actual I.D. of the voter, another easy avenue for voter fraud is opened up with this possible new law!

Possible Collateral Impacts of SSB 5017:

Fraudulent Use of Absentee Ballots – Requesting absentee ballots and voting without the knowledge of the actual voter, or obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly and forging the voter’s signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for.

Ineligible Voting – Illegal registration and voting by individuals who are not eligible to vote; including but not limited to the following:

• Non-citizen Voters
• Phantom Voters
• Deceased Voters
• Felon Voters
• Minor Voters

How easy would it be for any nefarious actor to take advantage of this “honor” voting system if they wanted to cheat in an election? Especially if they are getting paid to forge a signature and vote a ballot?

The bill also requires exploring options for an electronic ballot portal and says: The Secretary of State SHALL establish an electronic transmission system through which a covered voter may apply for and receive voter registration materials, military-overseas ballots, and other information under this chapter.

Any electronic online voting method is another serious risk and target for hacking and voter fraud, and another reason why this bill needs to be killed!

Even if the vote is legal, how is it fair and proportionate if the taxes, services, and laws that affect Washingtonians are subject to the vote of those who have never lived in the state or the country?

Our daily life is shaped by election outcomes and the policy decisions and legislative votes of our chosen representatives: the taxes we pay, the housing we live in, the roads we drive, the hospitals we go to, and the public schools our children attend. Does it meet our expectation of “Democracy” that the vote of someone who has never lived here should hold the same weight as that of a Washingtonian?

If your Mom was English, but you’d never set foot in England, should you be able to vote for the next mayor of Manchester? Certainly not…

What if you voted for your preferred candidate for the school board, but a guy in Slovakia cancels out your vote by voting for the opposing candidate? He was born overseas to an American who did a semester at UW in 1989 before emigrating abroad. How is this fair?

How do we know if that Slovakian is really over 18 and a US citizen? We don’t. It’s all an “honor” system. If he signs the ballot declaration that he is, then the ballot has to be counted. No questions allowed. How do we know if he had a “family member” eligible to vote here? We don’t; it’s an honor system. No checks are required. Hmm…

What if such individuals were limited just to voting in federal elections? Ok, but there’s no requirement for them to register to vote beforehand or provide any form of I.D. – All that’s required is an online electronic method to send in a ballot and a signature on a ballot declaration when the voted ballot comes back. Does this meet your expectations? Maybe not.

ALSO, SSB 5017 VIOLATES THE WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION – Article 6, §1 Qualifications of Electors: All persons of the age of eighteen years or over who are citizens of the United States and WHO HAVE LIVED IN THE STATE, COUNTY, AND PRECINCT thirty days immediately preceding the election at which they offer to vote.

Does the State Constitution matter to our lawmakers? It doesn’t seem so…

It should be apparent to any rational-thinking person that SSB 5017 is a dagger in the heart of election integrity. And it is even clearer that many WA State legislators in Olympia do not truly care, as long as they remain in power…

If you’re uneasy about this proposed legislation, please inform your representatives at: leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/5017. The SSB 5017 Executive Session is scheduled for Fri, March 21 at 8 am.

Bill Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Chairman, WSRP Executive Board Member, 5-Term Skagit County GOP Chairman, Citizen Journalist, Blogger, Business Owner, 2020 WA State House Representative Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 and 2024 RNC National Convention Delegate.

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