Washington GOP Sues King County Over Primary Ballots

The Washington State Republican Party has filed a lawsuit against King County elections, challenging the validity of nearly 2,100 ballots cured using the OmniBallot system during the primary for the Commissioner of Public Lands race. The party claims that the use of this third-party electronic service violates state law by transmitting voter information to a private entity before reaching county election officials, potentially affecting the outcome of the race. Democrat Dave Upthegrove narrowly defeated Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson by 49 votes to advance to the general election against Jaime Herrera Beutler. The GOP argues that without the use of OmniBallot, there is a 'less than one in a billion chance' Upthegrove would have secured a spot in the top two candidates. They seek an injunction to invalidate the ballots cured through this method, asserting that it undermines election integrity. King County Elections has defended the use of OmniBallot as a longstanding, secure option for voters to resolve signature issues.