Over 300 More Mistakenly Registered Voters Found in Oregon DMV Review
Portland, Ore. –
Over 300 additional individuals were mistakenly registered to vote through the Oregon DMV’s Motor Voter program due to a technical glitch, state officials announced. The error left thousands of records unanalyzed.
In response, Governor Tina Kotek and Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade have called for an independent audit of the program. Kotek also directed the DMV to halt the transmission of voter data to the Secretary of State’s office until the audit concludes, which is expected by the end of the year.
Since the discovery of improper registrations on Aug. 1, 1,568 registrations have been deactivated. The most recent batch of 302 records was identified following a two-week investigation prompted by Kotek. Among those, 123 records were missed during an earlier review due to a clerical error.
Another 178 records involved residents of American Samoa and Swains Island, who, despite holding U.S. passports, are not eligible to vote in certain elections due to specific citizenship laws. The DMV had incorrectly classified them as eligible for automatic voter registration.
To address these issues, the DMV has implemented several corrective actions, including enhanced manager oversight, updates to its computer systems, and new procedures for processing documents from American Samoa.
“Any error affecting our voting system must be taken very seriously,” Kotek said. “This audit and the pause in data transmission are necessary to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the Motor Voter program.”
Republican leaders, including House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich, have voiced support for the audit. “House Republicans have pushed for this audit from the beginning,” Helfrich said. “Oregonians deserve secure and accurate elections.”
The Secretary of State’s office temporarily suspended automatic voter registration through the Motor Voter program on Sept. 30 while the DMV continues refining its processes.