Officials in Oregon admitted Friday that a data entry mistake registered over 300 non-citizens to vote in the state since 2021, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Kevin Glenn, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said an analysis conducted by the department showed that 306 non-citizens were registered to vote when they applied for driver’s licenses, according to the AP.
Of those mistakenly registered, two have voted since 2021 in spite of state and federal laws restricting non-citizens from voting, Glenn added, according to the AP. (RELATED: Biden Administration ‘Strongly’ Opposed To Bill Cracking Down On Illegal Immigrants Voting)
Oregon DMV mistakenly registered more than 300 non-citizens to vote since 2021 https://t.co/5Q6jRtivLO
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 14, 2024
Since the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) automatically registers people to vote when they receive a driver’s license, Glenn said, the mistake is “basically a data entry issue,” the outlet reported.
Glenn explained that DMV employees sometimes incorrectly indicate that a person applying for a driver’s license or state ID has a U.S. birth certificate or passport even if they don’t, the AP reported.
Oregon’s Secretary of State, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who said her office only learned about the issue Thursday, issued a statement Friday addressing the mistake, according to the AP.
The secretary said the 306 people “will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote,” the AP reported.
“While this error is regrettable, the secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits,” Griffin-Valade added.
While Democratic Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said, “This situation will not impact the 2024 election in any way,” DMV Administrator Amy Joyce told The Oregonian/OregonLive that further investigation will likely reveal more non-citizens registered to vote.
Non-citizens have been able to obtain driver’s licenses in Oregon since 2019, the AP reported.
