Oregon's Motor Voter Law Registers at least 300-plus Illegals

The number may not seem large, but officials believe it's bound to grow...a lot.

Oregon's Motor-Voter program registers illegals to vote, against the law

A person must be a US citizen in order to vote, according to Federal law. However, a number of states, including OR and WA, have Motor Voter automatic registration programs. These programs automatically register someone who gets their first license, to vote. If a person is under 18, the program will register them when they come of age.

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However, with some states, including OR and WA, not requiring a person to show proof of citizenship to get a driver's license, officials are finding more and more illegals are being registered to vote.

According to OPB:

"Voting as a noncitizen is a crime in Oregon, but elections officials said Friday they would look into whether the people in question had become citizens before they voted.

Officials were also emphatic that the errant registrations would not impact this year’s election, saying noncitizens found to have been registered would be notified that they would need to submit proof of citizenship before being mailed a ballot next month."

According to OBP (Oregon Public Broadcasting), the state is facing the same issues as WA:

"The problem has roots in the the intersection of two relatively recent state laws. The first — Oregon’s pioneering motor voter law — automatically registers people to vote when they receive or renew a driver’s license in the state. The law has been hailed for expanding Oregon’s voter base since going into effect in 2016.

The second is a 2019 bill that allowed people to obtain driving privileges in the state without first showing proof of citizenship. That law, passed almost entirely along party lines, went into place in 2021."

However, in WA state law prohibits the Secretary of State's Office from inquiring or digging into a person's records to determine their citizenship, and therefore, ability to vote.