Secretary of State, AG's office and unions urge delegates to counter disinformation and defend elections

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and a panel of state legal and labor leaders told delegates at the Washington State Labor Council convention that defending elections requires sustained civic engagement, better public information and legal pushback against federal moves they said would centralize control of election administration.

Hobbs described steps his office has taken since 2021 to strengthen cybersecurity and counter disinformation, including a civic engagement program and an information security response unit. “We doubled the cybersecurity element,” he said, and urged delegates to tell skeptical friends and relatives to consult state resources rather than social media.

“Do not let those extremists and nation state actors bring our country down and tear us apart because that is what is happening right now,” Hobbs said, urging early voting and use of drop boxes in Washington’s vote‑by‑mail system.

Fina Ormond, deputy director of elections in the secretary of state’s office, said the office has launched a web page explaining federal developments that affect elections and recommended counties and the state site as trusted sources of information. “Come to the secretary of state’s website,” she said, pointing attendees to sos.wa.gov and county election offices for accurate guidance.

Maureen “Moe” Johnston, first assistant attorney general, described lawsuits her office has filed to block federal executive actions that would, she said, shift election administration to the federal government and create national databases of sensitive voter information. “When we file lawsuits or appear in court, we have to have evidence,” Johnston said. “Show me the evidence.”

Joe Montemayor, AFL‑CIO Western regional director, urged unions to use their organizing infrastructure to train election protectors and sustain long‑term civic engagement beyond election years.

The panel closed with practical recommendations for unions: train members as trusted messengers, push voter registration and education year‑round, and coordinate with county election officials and community partners to preserve voter access and the integrity of administration.

Next steps noted at the session included using the secretary of state’s new federal‑impacts page and outreach through union channels to encourage early voting and deployment of trained election protectors.