The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles recently admitted that more than 300 non-citizens had been registered to vote in U.S. elections since 2021. According to the blue state’s DMV, the incorrect registrations resulted from a program that automatically registers anyone with a valid driver’s license or state ID. According to reports, the state anticipates finding more improper registrations before the upcoming election.
Since 2019, Oregon has permitted noncitizens to obtain driver’s licenses. Reportedly, of the 306 individuals who were wrongfully registered to vote, only two were found to have voted in elections since 2021. According to Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, the individuals who are illegitimately registered to vote “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.”
Despite the threats to election integrity and the sovereignty of American citizens, the secretary of state stood behind the automatic voter registration system for those with driver’s licenses. “While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” Griffin-Valade added..
Furthermore, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek maintained that the wrongful registration of noncitizen voters will “not impact” the 2024 presidential 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.”
Meanwhile, other states around the country have cracked down on their election security ahead of November, auditing their voter rolls and removing any ineligible voters. The American Tribune recently reported that the Ohio state secretary discovered over 100 noncitizens had voted in recent elections. According to reports, 138 noncitizens have been referred to the state’s attorney general following the findings.
“I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country do not vote in our elections. We’ve so far identified 597 individuals who’ve registered to vote in Ohio despite not being citizens of the United States, as our state constitution requires,” Ohio State Secretary Frank LaRose said, emphasizing his role to protect election integrity.
“The evidence includes 138 individuals who appear to have cast a ballot in an Ohio election during the time state and federal records show they lacked citizenship status. The law requires me to refer these individuals to the attorney general, and that’s what we’re doing today,” he further added.
“I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections,” LaRose previously said, illustrating his commitment to the safeguarding elections. “That means I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country aren’t voting. If or when they do become citizens, I’ll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise, but until then the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting.”
Watch Rep. Mike Johnson discussing the importance of election safety below:
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