Oregon authorities have removed 302 people from the state’s voter rolls after discovering they did not provide proof of citizenship when they registered to vote. This brings the total number of mistaken registrations to 1,561, due to clerical errors at the state DMV. The errors occurred in part because of a 2019 law allowing some non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses, and the state’s “Motor Voter” law automatically registering most people to vote when they seek a new license or ID.
DMV Administrator Amy Joyce acknowledged the mistake and apologized, stating that the confidence they had in understanding and reviewing all records was misplaced. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has directed the DMV to pause automatic voter registration and called for an independent audit of the state’s Motor Voter system to restore public trust. The Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade expressed confidence that the errors will not impact the November election and has implemented corrective actions to prevent future mistakes.
Of the 302 additional cases that were identified, 178 were due to individuals from American Samoa being misclassified as U.S. citizens. Federal law dictates that individuals from American Samoa are U.S. nationals, not citizens, and therefore do not have the right to vote. The DMV has outlined the actions taken to rectify the error, including changes to the computer system, daily quality checks, and staff training. The secretary of state’s office is working to verify if the 302 people in question cast ballots.
Previously, 1,259 individuals were found to be possibly ineligible, with ten of them voting after being improperly registered. However, at least five of those individuals were confirmed to be citizens when they voted. This represents a small fraction of Oregon’s 3 million registered voters. Governor Kotek and Secretary of State Griffin-Valade have emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and continuous learning to prevent similar errors in the future.
In response to the errors, the DMV has implemented new quality controls and processes to ensure accuracy in voter registrations. Governor Kotek and Secretary of State Griffin-Valade are committed to restoring public trust in Oregon’s Motor Voter system through an independent review by a neutral third party. They have also directed the elections division to hire a new Motor Voter oversight position and establish documented procedures for performing regular data checks with the DMV. These measures aim to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and address concerns about voter registration inaccuracies.
