Oregon DMV waited weeks to tell elections officials about voter registration error

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon transportation authorities waited weeks to tell elections officials about an error that registered over 1,200 people to vote, despite them not providing proof of U.S. citizenship.

Oregon’s Driver & Motor Vehicle Services, or DMV, first learned of the improper registrations on Aug. 1, “though the scope or cause was unclear,” Department of Transportation spokesperson Kevin Glenn told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

But Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said she only became aware of the error six weeks later on Sept. 12. And Gov. Tina Kotek learned of the problem on Sept. 13, according to spokesperson Elisabeth Shepard.

The mistake occurred in part because Oregon has allowed noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses since 2019, and the state’s DMV automatically registers most people to vote when they obtain a license or ID.

Last week, Oregon elections officials said they struck 1,259 people from voter rolls after determining they did not provide proof of U.S. citizenship when they were registered to vote. They will not receive a ballot for the 2024 election unless they reregister with documents proving their citizenship.

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