Oregon has restarted its automatic voter registration program after an audit exposed significant flaws that led to noncitizens being added to the voter rolls. The system, which had been paused for months, was reinstated following adjustments that state officials claim will prevent further errors.
The issue first came to light in late 2024 when an internal review found that nearly 1,600 individuals, some of whom had not provided proof of U.S. citizenship, had been automatically registered. The registration process, tied to Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), failed to distinguish between those eligible to vote and those simply applying for a state ID or driver’s license.
Gov. Tina Kotek ordered a halt to the program in October 2024, citing concerns over election integrity. In response, the Oregon DMV implemented several changes, including hiring a voter registration integrity analyst and updating its computer system to ensure staff properly classify identification documents.
Gov Kotek has reinstated Oregon’s Motor Voter Program following the implementation of new “protections.” We appreciate acknowledgement of previous data issues, but these actions fail to address the broader concerns surrounding election security in Oregon.https://t.co/6VDFSCeN81
— Oregon GOP (@Oregon_GOP) February 28, 2025
Despite these fixes, concerns remain. Republican lawmakers have expressed skepticism over the program’s relaunch, arguing that it was brought back too soon without sufficient oversight. State Sen. Daniel Bonham stated that “a patchwork of fixes won’t be enough to fully restore confidence.”
They just approved doing automatic voter registration after last years dmfraud…Oregon is begging for a full Audit in every agency
— Honeybear1776 (@honeybear1776) March 1, 2025
The Secretary of State’s Office acknowledged that 17 of the individuals mistakenly registered had voted in an election. While most cases have been reviewed and closed, three remain under investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Another dubious achievement by OMVP not achieving anything except almost (48th) last in voter registration integrity.
— B Wilson-my 2 cents (@BWilson49269368) February 28, 2025
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read has defended the decision to restart the program, pointing to new safeguards such as monthly audits and daily reconciliation of voter registration data. However, with election integrity remaining a top concern for many voters, the controversy surrounding Oregon’s voter registration system is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
