
Oregon’s automatic voter registration system faces scrutiny as an audit reveals clerical errors leading to unintentional voter registrations, including non-citizens.
At a Glance
- Oregon DMV mistakenly registered 1,561 non-citizens to vote since 2021
- Governor Tina Kotek orders pause on automatic voter registration
- Independent audit called to restore public confidence
- 10 improperly registered individuals voted, with at least one becoming a U.S. citizen before voting
- New safeguards implemented to prevent future errors
Audit Reveals Widespread Registration Errors
An audit of Oregon’s automatic voter registration system has uncovered significant clerical errors, resulting in the unintentional registration of non-citizens to vote. The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) initially reported 306 non-citizens added to voter rolls due to clerical errors. However, a subsequent “after-action” report revealed a total of 1,561 improper registrations since 2021, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the state’s voter registration process.
The errors are linked to a 2021 law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, which inadvertently led to incorrect citizenship status entries. Of the newly discovered cases, 123 were due to clerical errors, while 178 individuals from American Samoa and Swains Island were wrongly classified as U.S. citizens.
Today the Oregon Department of Transportation released a ‘complete comprehensive’ after-action report following the discovery of the automatic voter registration of over 1200 non-citizens. And it is what we suspected—just the tip of the iceberg. The numbers have continued to… pic.twitter.com/2tnpFFqrkw
— Christine Drazan (@ChristineDrazan) October 8, 2024
Governor Takes Swift Action
In response to these findings, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has taken decisive action. She has ordered the DMV to pause automatic voter registration and called for an independent audit of the department’s data handling practices. The governor emphasized the critical nature of addressing these errors to maintain the integrity of the voting system.
“Any error that undermines our voting system must be taken incredibly seriously and addressed,” Kotek stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The Secretary of State’s office is now reviewing whether any mistakenly registered individuals have voted. So far, it has been reported that 10 improperly registered individuals cast ballots, with at least one becoming a U.S. citizen before voting.
Implementing Safeguards and Calling for Further Investigation
The DMV has implemented new safeguards to prevent non-citizens from being registered in the future. These measures include revising the problematic dropdown menu that contributed to the errors and enhancing training for DMV staff. However, the recent findings have raised questions about the thoroughness of the DMV’s examination of its automatic voter registration process.
“Election integrity and security is of vital importance to us, and the DMV and the Secretary of State take the issue incredibly seriously,” said Kris Strickler, director of the Oregon Department of Transportation. “The agencies have continued to implement swift corrective action to ensure that this data processing error will not impact the 2024 election or future elections.”
While state election officials report no surge in illegal voting, with only seven potential non-citizen voting cases under investigation, the situation has prompted calls for legislative hearings and further scrutiny of voter rolls, particularly from Republican leaders. The Oregon Republican Party has requested a comprehensive audit for transparency, arguing that the current investigation covers only a small portion of voters registered since 2021.
— Federation for American Immigration Reform (@FAIRImmigration) September 24, 2024
Restoring Public Confidence
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade has joined Governor Kotek in calling for an independent external audit of the state’s automatic voter registration system. This move aims to restore public trust in the Motor Voter program, which has been a cornerstone of Oregon’s efforts to increase voter participation.
“Thanks to the swift action of elections officials, I have full confidence that these new errors will not impact the 2024 election,” Griffin-Valade said in a statement. “The DMV’s after-action report raises serious concerns about this important part of our voter registration system. The first step in restoring the public’s trust in Motor Voter is a transparent review by a neutral third party operating under strict government auditing standards.”
As Oregon officials work to address these issues, the focus remains on ensuring the integrity of the state’s voting system while maintaining its commitment to accessible voter registration. With three million registered voters in Oregon, the errors represent a small fraction of the total electorate. However, the incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance and robust safeguards in election systems across the nation.
Sources:
- Oregon Gov. calls for DMV to pause automatic voter registration as number of people mistakenly added to voter rolls grows
- Updated findings show nearly 1,260 possible noncitizens were registered to vote in Oregon since 2021
- Oregon officials call for audit as number of noncitizens registered to vote increases