Gov. Tina Kotek has called for a pause on automatically registering voters through the state’s Motor Voter law, but that doesn’t mean a person can’t still register to vote.

The deadline to register to receive a ballot for the general election is October 15.

Earlier this week, the state announced it had unearthed hundreds more people than previously known who were improperly registered to vote under the state’s Motor Voter law.

The latest tally includes 302 people identified on Monday, according to an “after-action” report ordered by Gov. Tina Kotek. The latest numbers add to the 1,259 people who officials with the state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services office and Secretary of State had earlier revealed were registered in error.

Kotek has called on the DMV to pause the process of automatically registering drivers to vote through the state’s Motor Voter law. She also asked for an external audit. Republicans have taken to the issue – which fits into a broader national narrative pushed by former President Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud – and demanded a fuller examination of the state’s more than 3 million voters.

Pausing the Motor Voter program will have no effect on the upcoming election, according to information from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. There is always a cut off point at which automatic registrations cannot be processed before an election, according to Laura Kerns, with the secretary of state’s office. That cutoff date is always 42 days before an election, so this year it was near the end of September.

Under Oregon’s 2016 Motor Voter law, people who obtain or renew a driver’s license are automatically registered to vote if they submit proof of U.S. citizenship. Drivers can choose to opt out of the system.

Oregon now says that a poorly laid out dropdown menu in a DMV computer program led workers to mistakenly indicate that noncitizens had presented U.S. passports or birth certificates when they had not.

But the state discovered a new error: Another 178 people from the U.S. territories of American Samoa and Swains Island have been wrongly classified as U.S. citizens.

The secretary of state’s office said officials are still reviewing whether any of those people actually voted.

Kotek initially reacted to the motor voter errors last month by ordering an after-action report and directing the DMV to pursue an outside audit of its data handling practices. The agency has said it put new safeguards into place to ensure no noncitizens were being registered.

Monday’s acknowledgment of hundreds of additional errant registrations calls into question just how deeply DMV examined the issue.

The agency has said it began looking into the accuracy of its automatic voter registration process after it received an inquiry in late July.

Republicans, whose questions about the state’s vote-by-mail system increased after the 2020 presidential election, are requesting the secretary of state cast a broader audit.

“She only looked at a small portion of voters registered at the DMV since 2021 and continues to insist that voter fraud is ‘extremely rare,’” reads a statement from Angela Plowhead, the party’s vice chair. “This small sample highlights how widespread inaccuracies in Oregon’s voter rolls are. The urgent need for an independent full and complete audit of the voter rolls is critical to ensure transparency and to reassure Oregonians that our elections are fair and free of fraud.”

Oregon has removed the names of 302 more people from its voter rolls amid concerns about their citizenship, raising further questions about the integrity of its registration process.

Officials announced on Monday that the residents had failed to provide proof of citizenship at the time of their registration.

The move is part of an ongoing effort to address improper voter registration linked to clerical errors at the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

It brings the total number of erroneous registrations to 1,561.

The root of the issue can be traced back to legislation passed in 2019 that permits some non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses in Oregon.

Compounding this, the state’s “Motor Voter” law, enacted in 2016, automatically registers most individuals to vote when they apply for a new license or ID, regardless of their citizenship status.

DMV Administrator Amy Joyce said: “We believed we had a complete understanding of the records at risk of error. Unfortunately, new information has revealed that our confidence was misplaced, and we sincerely apologize for this oversight. We are committed to transparency and accountability as we move forward.”

In response to these issues, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered a pause on automatic voter registration while also calling for an independent audit of the Motor Voter system.

The request was echoed by Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade.

“The first step in restoring the public’s trust in Oregon Motor Voter is a transparent review by a neutral third party,” Griffin-Valade said, adding that she was confident that the errors would not affect the upcoming November election.

As part of the corrective measures, Griffin-Valade has instructed her office to fill a newly created oversight position within the Motor Voter division and to establish a rigorous process for conducting regular data checks with the DMV.

Of the 302 newly identified cases, 178 involved individuals from American Samoa being misclassified as U.S. citizens, despite the fact that they are U.S. nationals and do not possess the same voting rights.

The remaining cases stem from previously identified clerical errors exacerbated by a newly discovered software issue.

The secretary of state’s office is investigating whether any of the 302 individuals participated in previous elections.

In its report, the DMV outlined a series of corrective actions, including updates to its computer systems, daily quality checks, and enhanced staff training.

Among the previously flagged 1,259 registrations, it was determined that 10 individuals had voted, with at least five confirmed as citizens at the time of voting—indicating that these instances represent a minimal fraction of Oregon’s 3 million registered voters.

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press

Here are the candidates for the SBLive/SI Oregon Girls Soccer Athlete of the Week as nominated by coaches, fans and readers. 

Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced Monday.

If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email danbrood91@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

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Paige Allen, La Grande

The senior forward stepped up to score four goals for the Tigers in their 8-1 win at Baker/Powder Valley in a Greater Oregon League match.

Danika Anderson, South Medford

The sophomore forward/midfielder had three assists for the Panthers in their 4-2 home win against Crater in a nonleague contest.

Mattie Andrus, Marist Catholic

The senior forward, and a team captain, had three assists for the Spartans in their 6-0 win over Cottage Grove in a Sky Em League match played at Marist Catholic.

Alyna Bravo, McKay

The junior goalkeeper made multiple clutch stops, many times stepping outside the box to make one-on-one saves for the Royal Scots in a 0-0 tie at Ridgeview.

Raegan Burke, South Medford

The junior midfielder tallied a pair of second half goals to help the Panthers post a 4-2 win over Crater in a nonleague match played at South Medford High School.

Lola Chamberlain, West Albany

The sophomore goalkeeper is having a strong season for the Bulldogs, reportedly stopping at least 10 shots in both matches against Crescent Valley and Silverton, while helping the team allow just an average of 1.5 goals a game for the season.

Bethany Dunn, North Marion

The junior forward had three goals and an assist for the Huskies in their 8-0 win at Sweet Home in an Oregon West Conference contest.

Rowan Evans, La Grande

The junior forward/midfielder turned in a hat trick, scoring three goals for the Tigers in their 8-1 victory at Baker/Powder Valley in Greater Oregon League play.

Suzanna Fee, Central Catholic

The senior scored the Rams’ first two goals in their 4-2 win over West Linn in a nonleague match played at the Eastside Sports Complex.

Kelsey Graham, Pendleton

The senior had both a goal and an assist for the Buckaroos in their 3-1 victory at Ontario in Greater Oregon League action.

Grace Hankins, Marist Catholic

The freshman midfielder scored the opening goal of the contest in the Spartans’ 6-0 win over Cottage Grove in a Sky Em League match played at Marist Catholic.

Emma Hart, Marist Catholic

The senior defender scored on a volley shot off a corner kick for the Spartans in their 6-0 home win over Cottage Grove in Sky Em League action.

Olivia Hays, Beaverton

The junior, who helped the Beavers get a 5-0 win over Southridge in a Metro League match, leads the team with 10 goals on the season while shining with her hustle and distribution of the ball to teammates.

Rylee Herndon, McLoughlin

The senior forward scored five goals for the Pioneers in their 7-2 home win over Grant Union in a Special District 5 contest.

Achiraya Junwiang, Illinois Valley

The senior stepped up to score four goals for the Cougars in their 7-2 victory at Douglas in a Special District 4 contest.

Morgan McKinney, Sutherlin

The senior forward scored three goals for the Bulldogs in their 5-0 win over Rogue River in a Far West League match played at Sutherlin High School.

Sinah Pederson, Douglas

The junior recorded both of the Trojans’ goals in their 2-1 come-from-behind win at Glide in a Special District 4 contest.

Emily Ruiz, Crook County

The senior helped the Cowgirls hold possession 57 percent of the time in a match with Estacada and then hold possession 61 percent of the time, as she scored three goals in a 6-0 home win against Madras.

Maycee Samuelson, Crater

The sophomore forward scored both of the Comets’ goals in their 4-2 loss to South Medford in a nonleague match played at South Medford High School. She then had two goals in a 2-1 home win against Thurston.

Kylee Schreck, West Linn

The junior forward scored both of the Lions’ goals in their 4-2 loss to Central Catholic in a nonleague match played at the Eastside Sports Complex.

Ella Shepard, Marist Catholic

The senior midfielder scored a goal for the Spartans, helping them roll to a 6-0 win over Cottage Grove in a Sky Em League game played at Marist Catholic.

Nailani Soloman, Grant

The junior forward scored two goals for the Generals in a 10-0 win at Roosevelt in a Portland Interscholastic League match and then she added another goal in a 2-0 victory against Wells.

Willa Stockton, Grant

The junior forward scored a pair of goals for the Generals in their 10-0 win over Roosevelt in a Portland Interscholastic League contest.

Doris Rios Valencia, North Marion

The junior forward/defender scored a pair of goals for the Huskies in their 3-0 victory at Cascade in an Oregon West Conference match. She also had two more goals in an 8-0 win at Sweet Home.

Deisy Zavala, Riverside

The senior forward scored three goals to lead the way for the Pirates in their 8-0 home win over Irrigon in a Special District 5 contest.

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