SALEM, OR – Oregon officials announced on Monday that 302 individuals have been removed from the state’s voter rolls due to concerns regarding their citizenship status. This decision raises further questions about the efficacy of the registration system, particularly following the revelation that these residents failed to provide proof of citizenship at the time of their registration.
The issue has roots in legislation passed in 2019, which allows certain non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses in Oregon. This policy has led to complications in voter registration, particularly with clerical errors at the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The latest removals bring the total number of erroneous registrations to 1,561.
Oregon’s “Motor Voter” law, enacted in 2016, automatically registers most individuals to vote when they apply for a new license or ID, irrespective of their citizenship status. DMV Administrator Amy Joyce acknowledged the oversight, stating, “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 light of these developments, Governor Tina Kotek has called for a temporary halt to automatic voter registration while advocating for an independent audit of the Motor Voter system. This request was supported by Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who has instructed her office to appoint a new oversight position within the Motor Voter division and to establish a rigorous process for conducting regular data checks with the DMV.
Of the newly identified cases, 178 involved individuals from American Samoa who were incorrectly classified as U.S. citizens. Although these individuals are U.S. nationals, they do not possess the same voting rights as U.S. citizens. The remaining cases were attributed to previously noted clerical errors that have been further complicated by a recently discovered software issue.
The secretary of state’s office is also investigating whether any of the 302 individuals removed from the rolls participated in previous elections. In a previous report, it was found that among the earlier flagged 1,259 registrations, 10 individuals had voted, with at least five confirmed as citizens at the time of voting. This indicates that these instances constitute a minimal fraction of Oregon’s approximately 3 million registered voters.
As officials work to rectify these issues, the state is implementing a series of corrective actions, including updates to its computer systems, daily quality checks, and enhanced staff training to prevent similar occurrences in the future.