Oregon Republicans ask governor to protect voter rolls after DMV registered noncitizens

(Update: Adding 14 of the 306 registrations were in C.O.)

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Oregon on Monday asked Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek to ensure the integrity of the state's voter rolls following reports that some 300 noncitizens have been mistakenly registered as voters since 2021.

The mistake occurred in part because Oregon has allowed noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses since 2019, and the state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services automatically registers most people to vote when they obtain a license or ID. An initial analysis by the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees the DMV, found that 306 noncitizens were registered to vote in what officials described as a “data entry issue” that happened when people applied for driver's licenses. Of those, two voted in elections since 2021.

They included 12 registrations in Deschutes County, two in Jefferson County and none in Crook County, the three county clerks confirmed Monday. Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison said, "None of these voters had any activity on their voter record - no updates and no voting history."

State and federal laws prohibit noncitizens from voting in national and local elections. Noncitizens include people who are in the country with legal status — such as green-card holders and temporary workers — and those without legal status.

In a letter emailed to Kotek's office on Monday, Oregon Senate Republican Minority Leader Daniel Bonham asked her to consider implementing measures similar to those outlined in an executive order issued last month by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Republican governor directed state officials to certify the accuracy of voter lists by removing those who moved, died, or were unable to verify their U.S. citizenship.

“These measures are vital to enhancing public trust in the electoral process and ensuring that elections are fair, transparent, and secure,” Bonham wrote.

Kotek's office did not immediately provide a comment.

The DMV is checking for additional errors and will likely find more cases of registering noncitizens to vote, spokesperson Chris Crabb said.

In a statement Friday, DMV Administrator Amy Joyce said the finding “does not mean those individuals were not U.S. citizens at the time they voted – just that they failed to provide proof of citizenship to DMV.” The Secretary of State's office is working to determine that, she said.

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said Friday in a statement that the 306 people involved “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.”

“While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” she said, adding that her office learned of the problem late Thursday.

More than 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon, meaning 300 or so who were mistakenly registered would represent a tiny fraction of potential voters.

The DMV’s lapses were first reported by Willamette Week.