Oregon Takes Bold Step to Enhance Election Security and Maintain Voter Integrity

At a Glance

Oregon elections officials removed over 1,200 people from voter rolls for not providing proof of U.S. citizenship.
Only nine of those possibly ineligible individuals voted in elections since 2021.
County clerks are verifying if those nine were indeed ineligible or just lacked documentation.
Concerns have been raised about non-citizens voting, though such cases are rare.
The DMV has implemented changes to prevent future registration errors.

Non-Citizens Purged from Voter Rolls

Oregon elections officials removed more than 1,200 people from voter rolls after it was determined they failed to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. This decisive action underscores the state’s commitment to ensuring only eligible individuals participate in the electoral process. The move comes as concerns about voter integrity reach new heights nationwide, especially as the United States approaches the 2024 presidential election.

The purge revealed that out of the 1,259 non-citizens found on the voter rolls, only nine had actually cast ballots in elections since 2021. Officials are currently investigating whether these individuals were indeed ineligible or simply lacked the required documentation at the time of their registration. This process involves collaboration between county clerks and the Secretary of State’s office to ascertain the facts.

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

Measures to Prevent Future Mistakes

The Secretary of State’s office sent letters to all 1,259 improperly registered individuals, informing them their voter registrations had been inactivated. To vote in future elections, these individuals would need to reregister and provide proof of citizenship. The origins of this error trace back to Oregon’s policy since 2019 that allows non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses, automatically registering them to vote at the DMV in the process.

The DMV has taken several measures to avoid similar errors in the future. This includes reordering drop-down menu options, adding confirmation prompts, and conducting daily quality checks by office managers to ensure document accuracy. These steps aim to fortify the integrity of voter registration and maintain public trust in Oregon’s electoral system.

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

State Responses and Future Implications

Governor Tina Kotek has called for further steps, including updated staff training and a comprehensive error report. Additionally, Republican lawmakers in Oregon have requested a public hearing to discuss the issue and examine ways to prevent such occurrences in the future. Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade assured that the upcoming November election will not be affected by this error, reiterating the state’s commitment to election integrity.

“The integrity of election systems is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and any error that can undermine our voting system must be taken seriously and addressed immediately,” Kotek said. “Following round-the-clock corrective action on the part of Oregon DMV to address the known errors and ensure they will not impact the 2024 general election, I am now directing the agency to go above and beyond to ensure errors like this will not happen again.”

State and federal laws prohibiting non-citizens from voting in both national and local elections continue to be a critical point of focus as the 2024 election approaches. The current scrutiny of voter rolls reflects a larger, nationwide effort to maintain the security and integrity of the electoral process.