Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, a Democrat, defended the state’s “motor voter” law after it allowed the state to register hundreds of noncitizens to vote.
“Automatic voter registration has been hugely beneficial for thousands of eligible Oregon voters to ensure access to our democracy,” Griffin-Valade said in a press release. “I am also personally calling on the DMV to take immediate action to improve its processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Griffin-Valade’s office said in the press release that it found out about this issue on Sept. 12. Communications Director Laura Kerns told The Federalist these errors led to 306 improper registrations, and the secretary’s office does not have the number of improperly registered voters affiliated with each political party. The Associated Press reported the state has registered these residents since 2021.
When The Federalist asked other questions, like whether this would affect November’s election and if there could be more noncitizens on Oregon’s voter rolls, Kerns pointed to the press release.
Griffin-Valade’s office said in the release that while the “error is regrettable,” the secretary supports the Oregon Motor Voter program for enabling “access to our democracy.”
Under this program, Oregon residents older than 16 who apply for a state permit, driver’s license, or ID and provide documents proving U.S. citizenship are automatically registered to vote, according to a statement provided to The Federalist from Oregon DMV Administrator Amy Joyce. Oregon’s automatic voter registration includes a “two-step review” process to verify identity and residence to confirm voting eligibility.
