Oregon DMV Registers Hundreds of Noncitizens to Vote, Officials Insist 2024 Election Unaffected

Clear Facts

• The Oregon DMV admitted to wrongfully registering at least 306 noncitizens to vote since 2021.
• Only two of the 306 noncitizens identified have cast ballots in an election since 2021.
• Oregon officials, including Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade and Governor Tina Kotek, maintain that this error will not impact the 2024 election.

The Oregon DMV has recently acknowledged a significant error: the wrongful registration of at least 306 noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections.

This issue has been ongoing since 2021, stemming from a program that automatically registers anyone who obtains a driver’s license or state ID.

State officials anticipate discovering more wrongful registrations as they approach Election Day.

Oregon has permitted noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses since 2019.

Of the 306 individuals identified, only two have participated in an election since 2021.

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

Despite this lapse, Griffin-Valade defended the state’s automatic voter registration program.

Governor Tina Kotek also emphasized that the discovery will “not impact” the 2024 election.

“While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” Griffin-Valade said.

Governor Kotek added that the error was found due to diligent efforts by the Oregon DMV and the secretary of state ahead of the 2024 election.

“The error in data entry which may have affected the voter eligibility of some Oregonian’s voter registration was discovered because the Oregon DMV and the secretary of state were doing their due diligence ahead of the 2024 election,” Kotek said.

“My office will continue to closely monitor the situation. This situation will not impact the 2024 election in any way.”

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who has been actively purging illegal voter registrations in Ohio, pointed out that automatic voter registration is problematic nationwide.

“This is why we have resisted so-called automatic voter registration in Ohio. We have multiple really convenient ways to register in Ohio, but there are people who should not be registered, like noncitizens, and there are people who simply don’t want to be registered,” LaRose said.

LaRose also mentioned the difficulties state offices encounter when verifying voter rolls.

Ohio first cross-checks with DMV data, but this often fails to determine a registrant’s status.

The second check involves the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.

However, states must pay $1.50 for each query, and finding the necessary information to search the data properly is cumbersome, according to LaRose.

LaRose added that he and other election officials are seeking more access to DHS data for a more accurate audit of voter rolls, but their requests have been denied.

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