Medford, OR – The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has resumed automatic voter registration after a pause that lasted several months. The program had been halted in October 2024 following the discovery of errors that led to nearly 1,600 individuals being mistakenly registered to vote, despite not providing proof of U.S. citizenship.
The issue arose from Oregon’s Motor Voter law, which automatically registers individuals to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license or state ID. While the law aims to increase voter participation, it inadvertently impacted non-citizens who are eligible for driver’s licenses in Oregon. Following the discovery of the error, Governor Tina Kotek ordered a suspension of the program in October to address the problem.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office conducted a thorough review of the error and found that only 17 of the 1,600 people mistakenly registered had cast ballots. Of those cases, eight have been closed, while six remain under active investigation. Three cases have been referred to the Oregon Department of Justice for further inquiry. The Secretary of State’s office stated that its elections division is continuing to investigate these cases to determine any potential issues related to voter integrity.
To prevent future errors, the DMV has introduced new safeguards, including the hiring of a “voter registration integrity analyst” and changes to the computer interface used by DMV staff when entering identification data. Additionally, a managerial review of voter registration files is now required at the end of each day before the information is forwarded to the Secretary of State’s office.
In response to concerns, the Secretary of State’s office has also committed to conducting monthly random sampling of voter registration data and verifying it with the DMV. Tobias Read, Oregon’s Secretary of State, emphasized the importance of ensuring that voter rolls remain secure and accurate, stating, “Our highest priority is — and must always be — protecting the integrity of Oregonians’ fair, secure, and accessible elections.”
An external assessment by consulting firm Deloitte, hired by the Oregon Department of Transportation, found that the new processes provide “adequate confidence” in the integrity of the voter registration system.
However, some Republican lawmakers have voiced continued skepticism over the effectiveness of the new measures. State Senator Daniel Bonham, the GOP minority leader, expressed concerns in a statement, saying, “A patchwork of fixes won’t be enough to fully restore confidence.”
The DMV has reported that no further erroneous voter registrations have occurred since the new controls were implemented, and it plans to continue sampling Motor Voter data monthly through 2025. As the system returns to full operation, state officials will closely monitor its effectiveness in preventing future errors and safeguarding the integrity of Oregon’s elections.