Oregon lawmakers OK bill to let more Oregonians register online, without state-issued ID

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Senate gave final legislative approval Thursday to House Bill 4133 on a vote of 18-7, allowing Oregonians to register to vote online with the last four digits of their Social Security number and an image of their signature. 

Oregonians without a state-issued ID do not have an official signature on record with the Secretary of State, meaning they must currently register to vote using a paper registration card.

“This gap in our law creates an additional barrier to voter registration for Oregonians without a state-issued ID,” said Senator Akasha Lawrence Spence (D-Portland), Co-Chief Sponsor of House Bill 4133, who carried the bill on the Senate floor. “These are folks who are often from the same groups of Oregonians who are historically underrepresented in our elections — our service members, seniors, low-income people, people of color and young people.”

“This legislation will make our elections much more secure,” said Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and Executive Appointments. “We’re taking action to make voting easier and improve election security here in Oregon.”

Senate Democrats said the legislation improves access to voter registration by allowing individuals to register to vote online with the last four digits of their Social Security number and to electronically submit an image of their signature for use in elections.

The measure also allows approved third-party organizations to securely submit registration cards electronically on behalf of individuals, enabling Oregon’s existing voter registration system to work seamlessly with national voter registration tools, they said.

House Bill 4133 now goes to the governor for her signature.