PORTLAND, Oregon — Oregon officials admitted Friday that the state has improperly registered more than 300 non-citizens as voters since 2021 in what they described as a “data entry problem” that occurred when people applied for driver’s licenses.
An initial analysis by the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees the state’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services, found that 306 noncitizens were registered to vote, said Kevin Glenn, a department spokesman. Of those, two have voted in elections since 2021.
State and federal laws prohibit non-citizens from voting in national and local elections.
The error arose in part because Oregon has allowed non-citizens to get driver’s licenses since 2019, and the DMV automatically registers most people to vote when they get a driver’s license or state ID, Glenn said.
“It’s basically a data entry issue,” Glenn said, explaining that when a DMV employee enters information about someone applying for a driver’s license or state ID, he or she may incorrectly indicate that the person has a U.S. birth certificate or passport when they do not.
DMV Administrator Amy Joyce said The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday that the office is still checking for additional errors and will likely find more cases of non-citizens registering to vote.
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said in a statement Friday that the 306 individuals involved “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they provide proof that they are eligible to vote.”
“While this error is regrettable, the Secretary of State and the Department of Elections continue to stand behind automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” she said, adding that her office only became aware of the problem Thursday evening.
In Oregon, more than 3 million people are registered to vote. That means the 300 or so people who registered by mistake represent only a small fraction of potential voters.
“This situation will in no way affect the 2024 elections,” said Governor Tina Kotek.
The DMV’s shortcomings were first reported by Willamette Week.
