Central WA counties settle lawsuit over Latino voter signatures

Yakima, Benton and Chelan counties have settled a 2021 lawsuit filed by Latino voters and advocacy groups over the county’s voter signature verification process.  

The voters and the League of United Latin American Citizens and Latino Community Fund of Washington sued elected officials in the three counties in May 2021, alleging the three counties’ signature verification process violated the federal Voting Rights Act. According to the complaint, Latino voters in the three counties were several times more likely to get their ballot rejected due to a mismatched signature.

Benton and Chelan counties reached a settlement with plaintiffs in October. Yakima County was the sole defendant in the suit long enough for a trial date to be set before ultimately reaching a settlement as well last week.

Under the settlement, the three counties will conduct mandatory signature verification training for county auditor election staff. County election staff must also complete cultural competency training every two years. Finally, ballot materials will now include language on a ballot’s security sleeve that outlines signature verification requirements, cure processes and other terms. 

The settlement with Yakima County notes that the county already meets some of the settlement terms, including providing significant verification and cure-process language and Spanish-language voter registration information.

Counties admit no wrongdoing in their settlements. In a statement to the Yakima Herald-Republic, Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross said he felt his elections office followed state law, that the complaints were “meritless” and that the county settled this suit from a “business perspective.”