US election integrity and ballot concerns

In late October 2026, election officials in Washington and Pennsylvania addressed various issues regarding ballot security and voter rolls.

In Seattle, Washington, federal investigators and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began examining the discovery of 92 undelivered election ballots found in a dumpster at Golden Gardens Park. King County Elections reissued replacement ballots to the affected voters, though authorities have not determined if the ballots were stolen, abandoned, or improperly discarded.

In Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County reported that human error resulted in the accidental mailing of 157 duplicate ballots. The Pennsylvania Department of State noted that the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors database is designed to block duplicate barcodes to prevent multiple votes from being counted.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice requested that Washington state set aside ballots cast by over 400 registered voters suspected of being noncitizens. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated his office would review the request while ensuring due process.