Casting mailed ballots remained popular among voters in last year’s presidential election, even as President Donald Trump has tried to undercut the process through a wide-ranging executive order.

Special elections have had significant shifts towards the Democrats since Trump returned to office, an indicator of potential success in the 2026 Midterms.

The Washington County Election Commission met to officially welcome its newest member and prepare for the next big election. While 2025 isn’t a major election year, officials said it’s still a crucial time to focus on planning, training and maintaining voter trust. New commissioner Alexis Ward said she’s ready to hit the ground running.

A political committee that helped defeat last year’s ballot measure to repeal a Washington climate law was fined $20,000 on Thursday for not disclosing how it spent $1 million until after the election.