(DailyAnswer.org) – Oregon officials admitted last Friday that over 300 non-citizens were mistakenly registered to vote in the state since 2021. This error occurred during the process of applying for driver’s licenses and was described as a “data entry issue.”
The Oregon Department of Transportation, which runs the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV), found that 306 non-citizens were added to the voter rolls, according to department spokesperson Kevin Glenn. Out of these, two people actually voted in elections during that time.
By law, non-citizens are not allowed to vote in either national or local elections.
This issue came up because since 2019, Oregon has allowed non-citizens to get driver’s licenses. Normally, the DMV automatically registers most people to vote when they get a license or state ID. However, this is where the problem occurred. Glenn explained that when DMV workers enter data, they can mistakenly mark someone as having a U.S. birth certificate or passport, even when they don’t.
Amy Joyce, who runs the DMV, said that her team is still looking into whether more non-citizens were registered by mistake. She expects they may find more cases.
Oregon’s Secretary of State, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, said in a statement that all 306 people will receive letters explaining that they won’t get a ballot unless they prove they are eligible to vote. She acknowledged the error but stood by the automatic voter registration system, saying it has many benefits. Her office only learned about the problem the day before.
With over 3 million registered voters in Oregon, this mistake involves a very small portion of them, so officials don’t think it will affect the upcoming 2024 election. While 300 or so voters seem like a lot, it is a fraction of Oregon’s voting population.
Governor Tina Kotek also emphasized that this issue wouldn’t have any impact on future elections, attempting to reassure the public that the situation is under control.
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