New Washington law clarifies what it means to vote in an election after man sent in two states' ballots and dodged charg
OLYMPIA – What does it mean to vote in an election?
While it may seem like a simple question, Washington lawmakers have clarified state law after a man who voted in Oregon and Washington in November 2022 successfully appealed his conviction. The man argued that while he returned ballots in both states, that did not qualify as voting twice since the candidates did not overlap.
In summer 2022, the man moved from Oregon to Washington, and upon receiving a driver’s license, was automatically registered to vote at his new address in Lewis County. Ahead of the November election, the man received a ballot at his new address, as well as an Oregon ballot to his Post Office box in Clackamas County.
After returning both ballots, the man was charged and convicted of a felony for voting in both elections.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/18/new-washington-law-clarifies-what-it-means-to-vote/