Oregon
Oregon strikes hundreds from voter rolls
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.
An election worker examines a ballot at the Clackamas County Elections office May 19, 2022, Oregon City, Oregon. State officials said they had removed another 302 people from the state’s voter rolls after determining they didn’t provide proof of citizenship when they were registered to vote on Monday 7 October.
Gillian Flaccus/AP, file
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.
The headquarters of Oregon’s Driver and Motor Vehicles Division, June 15, 2017, in Salem, Oregon. The state passed a law in 2019 allowing some residents who aren’t citizens to obtain driver’s licenses.
Andrew Selsky/AP, file
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