SALEM, Ore. — Republican lawmakers in Oregon have formally requested Democratic Governor Tina Kotek to address the integrity of the state’s voter rolls, following alarming revelations that approximately 300 noncitizens were incorrectly registered as voters since 2021.
This significant oversight was partly due to Oregon’s policy of allowing noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses since 2019. The state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services automatically registers most individuals to vote when they acquire a license or ID. An initial review by relevant state authorities discovered that 306 noncitizens were registered to vote, attributed to a “data entry issue” during the driver’s license application process. Notably, two of these individuals participated in elections since 2021.
State and federal legislation explicitly prohibits noncitizen participation in national and local elections. This category includes individuals with legal status such as green-card holders and temporary workers, as well as those without legal status.
In a letter sent to Governor Kotek on Monday, Oregon Senate Republican Minority Leader Daniel Bonham urged the implementation of measures akin to those recently outlined in a directive by Virginia’s governor. He emphasized the importance of verifying voter lists by removing individuals who have changed addresses, passed away, or failed to confirm their U.S. citizenship.
“These measures are crucial for building public confidence in the electoral process, ensuring transparency, and maintaining the security of our elections,” Bonham stated.
As of now, Governor Kotek’s office has not issued an official comment.
DMV Administrator Amy Joyce confirmed that the office is currently reviewing the situation for additional discrepancies and anticipates identifying more cases of noncitizen registrations.
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade indicated that the individuals involved would be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they can prove their eligibility to vote.
“While the occurrence of this error is unfortunate, the secretary and the Elections Division support automatic voter registration and its numerous advantages,” she remarked, adding that her office became aware of the matter late last week.
With over 3 million registered voters in Oregon, the erroneous registrations account for a minimal segment of the total electorate.
