Lax Processing and Human Error Added 306 Oregon Noncitizens to the Voters Roll

UPDATE: Oregon Governor Shuts Downs DMV Loopholes After Voters’ Roll Errors

As the November 5 election gains momentum, so do claims by the GOP of voting by noncitizens. And Oregon has not escaped the latest whiplash.

A bill passed in 2021 that allowed Oregon residents to obtain drivers licenses without proving citizenship has added 306 noncitizens to the voter’s roll, according to officials from the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle (DMV) Services division, who described the oversight as lax processing and human error.

However, only two of the 306 people have voted, said Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade yesterday (Friday).

It is a Crime in Oregon to Vote as a Noncitizen

It is a crime in Oregon to vote as a noncitizen, and election officials have confirmed an investigation to uncover whether the two registered noncitizens had obtained citizenship before voting.

Oregon DMV administrator Amy Joyce said yesterday that officials are combing records for noncitizens. Licensed drivers with the DMV are automatically eligible to vote under the Oregon Motor Voter Law.

Joyce attributed the registrations to lax processes and human error at the DMV, adding that additional safeguards will help to eliminate the possibility of the problem reoccurring.

Joyce said it was important for the DMV to uphold its registration and election integrity.

Noncitizens will not be able to vote in the upcoming election. Officials say the people identified as noncitizens will have to submit proof of citizenship before they can receive ballot papers in the mail next month. According to the Oregon Motor Voter law, noncitizens are automatically registered to vote when they renew their driver’s licenses.

Increased Access to Democracy

The Oregon Motor Voter law has ‘increased access to democracy’ for the majority of eligible residents who were automatically added to the voter roll after obtaining a driving license, according to a press release by the office of the Secretary of State.

Describing the 306 noncitizens added to the voter roll as ‘a regrettable error,’ the release says that the Secretary of State office stands by the law enabling automatic voter registration ‘and its many benefits.’

The Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in the upcoming election, Tobias Read, says he hopes that the current secretary will work quickly to protect ‘the integrity of our system.’

The Takeaway

Voting by noncitizens is a red flag constantly raised by Republican former president Donald Trump in his election bid to regain control of the country in the upcoming election.

He alleges that ‘crooked’ Democrats are responsible for noncitizen illegal immigrants obtaining the right to vote.

Trump also states that the trend is overlooked ‘by an equally dishonest Justice Department,’ writing in Truth Social in July. Truth Social is a Trump Media & Technology Group-owned alt-tech and social media platform.