Oregon Republicans ask governor to protect voter rolls after DMV registered noncitizens
Sep 16, 2024, 1:38 PM
FILE - The headquarters of Oregon's Driver and Motor Vehicles Division is seen in Salem, Ore., June 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Oregon on Monday asked Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek to ensure the integrity of the state’s voter rolls following reports that some 300 noncitizens have been mistakenly registered as voters since 2021.
The mistake occurred in part because Oregon has allowed noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses since 2019, and the state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services automatically registers most people to vote when they obtain a license or ID. An initial analysis by the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees the DMV, found that 306 noncitizens were registered to vote in what officials described as a “data entry issue” that happened when people applied for driver’s licenses. Of those, two voted in elections since 2021.
State and federal laws prohibit noncitizens from voting in national and local elections. Noncitizens include people who are in the country with legal status — such as green-card holders and temporary workers — and those without legal status.
In a letter emailed to Kotek’s office on Monday, Oregon Senate Republican Minority Leader Daniel Bonham asked her to consider implementing measures similar to those outlined in an executive order issued last month by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Republican governor directed state officials to certify the accuracy of voter lists by removing those who moved, died, or were unable to verify their U.S. citizenship.
“These measures are vital to enhancing public trust in the electoral process and ensuring that elections are fair, transparent, and secure,” Bonham wrote.
Kotek’s office did not immediately provide a comment.
DMV Administrator Amy Joyce told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday that the office is checking for additional errors and will likely find more instances of registering noncitizens to vote.
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said Friday in a statement that the 306 people involved “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.”
“While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” she said, adding that her office learned of the problem late Thursday.
More than 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon, meaning 300 or so who were mistakenly registered would represent a tiny fraction of potential voters.
The DMV’s lapses were first reported by Willamette Week.
