Oregon DMV error registers over 300 non-citizens to vote

Sep 16

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

The Oregon DMV mistakenly registered more than 300 non-citizens to vote since 2021, revealing a critical flaw in the state’s automatic voter registration system. Officials identified the root cause as a data entry issue, in which DMV staff incorrectly coded non-citizens as having U.S. passports or birth certificates when processing driver’s license applications.

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This error affects 306 non-citizens, roughly 0.01% of Oregon’s more than 3 million registered voters. Only two of those individuals cast ballots since 2021.

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Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade took immediate action to update voter rolls. The state also plans to notify affected individuals that they will not receive ballots unless they prove eligibility.

The issue arose from the intersection of Oregon’s motor voter law and a 2019 law that eliminated citizenship proof requirements for license applicants.

State Rep. Janelle Bynum has called for the state attorney general to launch a full-scale investigation, emphasizing that any errors in the election process are unacceptable.

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE OREGON DMV MISTAKENLY REGISTERED MORE THAN 300 NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE SINCE 2021, REVEALING A CRITICAL FLAW IN THE STATE’S AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM.

THE ROOT CAUSE WAS IDENTIFIED AS A DATA ENTRY ISSUE, WHERE DMV STAFF INCORRECTLY CODED NON-CITIZENS AS HAVING U.S. PASSPORTS OR BIRTH CERTIFICATES WHEN PROCESSING DRIVER’S LICENSE APPLICATIONS.

THIS ERROR AFFECTS 306 NON-CITIZENS — ROUGHLY POINT-ZERO-ONE-PERCENT (0.01%) OF OREGON’S MORE THAN 3 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS, WITH TWO INDIVIDUALS HAVING CAST BALLOTS SINCE 2021.

SECRETARY OF STATE LAVONNE GRIFFIN-VALADE HAS TAKEN IMMEDIATE ACTION TO UPDATE VOTER ROLLS AND NOTIFY AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE BALLOTS UNLESS THEY PROVE ELIGIBILITY.

THE ISSUE AROSE FROM THE INTERSECTION OF OREGON’S MOTOR VOTER LAW AND A 2019 LAW THAT ELIMINATED CITIZENSHIP PROOF REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSE APPLICANTS.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE JANELLE BYNUM HAS CALLED FOR THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO LAUNCH A FULL-SCALE INVESTIGATION EMPHASIZING THAT ANY ERRORS IN THE ELECTION PROCESS ARE UNACCEPTABLE.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR…