Oregon officials have removed over 1,200 individuals from voter rolls due to insufficient proof of U.S. citizenship, sparking a debate on election integrity.
At a Glance
- Oregon removed 1,259 people from voter rolls for lack of citizenship proof
- Only nine of these individuals voted in elections since 2021
- The error stemmed from Oregon’s policy allowing non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses
- DMV has implemented changes to prevent future registration errors
Oregon’s Voter Roll Cleanup
In a move to ensure the integrity of its electoral process, Oregon has taken decisive action by removing over 1,200 individuals from its voter rolls. This decision comes after officials determined that these individuals failed to provide adequate proof of U.S. citizenship, a fundamental requirement for voting in national and local elections.
The scrutiny of voter rolls has intensified nationwide as the 2024 presidential election approaches. While concerns about non-citizens voting have been raised, such cases are relatively rare. In Oregon’s case, only nine of the removed individuals had actually cast ballots in elections since 2021, representing a minuscule fraction of the state’s three million registered voters.
The Oregon government only learned about the registering of noncitizens to vote because of an outside think tank inquiry. They are NOT working to keep the voter rolls clean. https://t.co/RYEYofDpDq
— Oregon GOP (@Oregon_GOP) September 20, 2024
The Root of the Problem
The registration error can be traced back to Oregon’s 2019 policy change that allowed non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses. This policy, coupled with the state’s automatic voter registration system at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), inadvertently led to the improper registration of some non-citizens.
“Oregon elections officials said they had struck over 1,200 people from the state’s voter rolls after determining they did not provide proof of U.S. citizenship when they were registered to vote.”
To address this issue, the DMV has implemented several changes. These include reordering drop-down menu options, adding confirmation prompts, and instituting daily quality checks by office managers to ensure document accuracy. These measures aim to prevent similar errors in the future and maintain the integrity of Oregon’s voter registration process.
Political Response and Future Steps
The discovery of this registration error has prompted responses from various political figures. Governor Tina Kotek has called for additional measures, including updated staff training and a comprehensive error report. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Oregon have requested a public hearing on the issue, highlighting the political sensitivity surrounding voter registration and election integrity.
“Election integrity and security is of vital importance to us, and the DMV and the Secretary of State take the issue incredibly seriously,” Kris Strickler, director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, told reporters. The agencies “have continued to implement swift corrective action to ensure that this data processing error will not impact the 2024 election or future elections.”
Despite the concern this situation has raised, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade has assured the public that the upcoming November election will not be affected by this error. The 1,259 individuals who were improperly registered have been notified that their registration has been inactivated, and they must re-register with proof of citizenship to participate in the 2024 election.
Sources:
- Updated findings show nearly 1,260 possible noncitizens were registered to vote in Oregon since 2021
