Whatcom County Voter Registration Challenge Hearing Scheduled

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Whatcom County Elections has scheduled a Canvassing Board hearing to discuss a voter registration challenge.

Canvassing Board members are expected to hear arguments from the challenger, Norman Glenn Stewart and the challengee, Steven Dale Potvin.

A voter registration challenge is an administrative hearing, not a court proceeding, and is open to the public. The County Canvassing Board, or designees, will preside over the hearing.
– Whatcom County Elections
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According to publicly accessible records, Stewart is challenging Potvin’s status as a registered voter and proposes he therefore be declared ineligible to run for political office. Potvin is currently a candidate for a seat on the Ferndale City Council.

Stewart claims Potvin changed his voter registration address from an Aldergrove Road address to his downtown Ferndale business address. The change appeared to have occurred after he voted in the 2024 General Election.

In his challenge, Stewart says city zoning for the business address does not allow for him to reside there so his registration to vote should be rejected.

State law (RCW 29A.04.151 and RCW 29A.08.010) requires that a voter’s residential address for voter registration purposes be the voter’s permanent, physical address. The law does not take into consideration the legality of residing at an address.

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“Residence” for the purpose of registering and voting means a person’s permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode.
– Revised Code of Washington 29A.04.151

The residential address provided must identify the actual physical residence of the voter in Washington, as defined in RCW 29A.04.151, with detail sufficient to allow the voter to be assigned to the proper precinct and to locate the voter to confirm his or her residence for purposes of verifying qualification to vote under Article VI, section 1 of the state Constitution.
– Revised Code of Washington 29A.08.010
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Stewart’s challenge claims that if Potvin is not eligible to vote, he would not be eligible to run for Ferndale City Council and be removed from the ballot.

Requirements for city council candidates include being a registered voter in Ferndale at the time of their declaration of candidacy and residing within the city for at least 1 year by the election date.

Potvin told Whatcom News via email, “Stewart can challenge it all he wants, that is his right to challenge it. In the end, it doesn’t change or effect my address or my council candidacy.” He went on to speculate that Stewart’s challenge is an attempt to keep him off the ballot.

I am just a regular working man, and I am running for council because I would like to be a voice for the regular working people of Ferndale, because that is what I am. From what I can tell, people of Ferndale are wanting a change from career politicians, and a politician I am not, so that may make my opponent nervous, as it should.
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– Steven Dale Potvin (August 20, 2025)

The hearing is scheduled for Monday, August 25, 2025, at 10am in suite B03 in the Whatcom County Courthouse & Civic Center, 311 Grand Avenue.

Another voter registration challenge was received in June by Whatcom County Elections from the Washington Voter Research Project. It claimed 2 people still were registered at a Deming address although they were registered to vote and had voted in Vermont. This challenge was withdrawn after the 2 submitted requests to cancel their Whatcom County voter registrations.

State law requires Whatcom County Elections hold hearings to determine the validity of challenged voter registrations. Voter registration challenge hearings are administrative proceedings, not a court proceeding and not a criminal action.