OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington’s top election official is criticizing the president over his plans to do away with mail-in voting.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a statement on Tuesday that he won’t stand idly by while Trump administration tries to “dismantle” the state and country’s election system.

It came in response to President Trump’s announcement on Monday that he intends to sign an executive order that would eliminate mail-in voting and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Hobbs called the plan a “direct threat” to every eligible voter in the country and denounced federal interference in state elections.

“In Washington, our system works. Every ballot is accounted for, signatures are verified, and results are audited. We will continue to run secure, transparent, and accessible elections. Voters deserve nothing less,” Hobbs said. 

He referenced an article of the Constitution that gives Congress and state legislatures the authority to regulate elections.

“The Constitution is clear. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 gives Congress and state legislatures the authority to set the ‘Times, Places and Manner’ of elections — not the president. For nearly two decades, Washington voters have benefitted from a vote-by-mail system upheld by our Legislature.” 

Federal judges previously blocked an order Trump signed in March that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote and ban counting any mail-in ballots that arrive after election day.

The president said on Monday that his new executive order is currently being drafted.