Oregon’s automatic voter registration program is back in operation after being suspended last year due to errors that allowed noncitizens to be added to voter rolls. The state claims new safeguards have been implemented to prevent similar mistakes from happening again.
The issue first surfaced in 2024 when an audit revealed nearly 1,600 individuals had been wrongly registered through the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Among those registered were individuals who had never provided proof of U.S. citizenship. The discovery prompted Gov. Tina Kotek to pause the system while officials reviewed what went wrong.
Gov Kotek has reinstated Oregon’s Motor Voter Program following the implementation of new “protections.” We appreciate acknowledgement of previous data issues, but these actions fail to address the broader concerns surrounding election security in Oregon.https://t.co/6VDFSCeN81
— Oregon GOP (@Oregon_GOP) February 28, 2025
Oregon’s voter registration process is linked to its DMV, which automatically registers individuals when they apply for driver’s licenses or identification cards unless they opt out. However, because the state allows noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses, the system failed to properly filter out those ineligible to vote.
They just approved doing automatic voter registration after last years dmfraud…Oregon is begging for a full Audit in every agency
— Honeybear1776 (@honeybear1776) March 1, 2025
State officials now claim improvements have been made, including hiring a voter registration integrity analyst and implementing a new process for verifying eligibility before data is sent to the Secretary of State’s Office. Additionally, DMV supervisors will now review all registrations at the end of each day.
Another dubious achievement by OMVP not achieving anything except almost (48th) last in voter registration integrity.
— B Wilson-my 2 cents (@BWilson49269368) February 28, 2025
Despite these measures, concerns remain. Seventeen of the individuals mistakenly registered cast ballots, leading to multiple investigations. While most cases have been closed, three remain under review by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read defended the decision to reinstate the system, arguing that the state has strengthened its verification process. Still, with election integrity a top concern for voters, the controversy surrounding Oregon’s voter registration system is far from over.
