Driver card controversy heading to Oregon voters

Measure 88, one of the more controversial items on Oregon’s Nov. 4 ballot, would allow people to get limited-purpose driver cards if they can’t prove U.S. citizenship.

The driver cards would be different from driver licenses. They can’t be used as identification at the airport. The card cannot be used as ID to enter into a federal building, nor can it be used to register to vote, receive government benefits — and it would expire in four years as opposed to six.

“So a driver card allows you to legally drive in Oregon,” Sally Ridenour of the Oregon Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

It’s only for people who cannot prove they are legal U.S. citizens. Anyone with a birth certificate or Social Security card is not affected.

There are qualifications that people need to meet before the would be able to get a driver card. A person will have to pass a written and driving test, provide proof of residency in Oregon for more than a year, provide proof of identity and date of birth.

The DMV is ready to implement change, if the measure passes. They have to be prepared for either option, because they only have 30 days to make any change after the ballots are counted.

However, if it does pass. the DMV is not sure how many people could come forward for a driver card.

“People who are not legally in the U.S. are not on the Census. They are not registered anywhere,” Ridenour said.

If the measure passes, it will go into effect in December.

For more on the measure, including the pro and con arguments and who is for and against it, visit http://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Alternative_Driver_Licenses_Referendum,_Measure_88_%282014%29

It’s also the topic of our latest KTVZ.COM Poll, halfway down the right side of our Website’s home page.