Resumed Oregon Motor Voter Registration

Salem, OR - This week Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read announced that Governor Tina Kotek has reinstated Oregon’s Motor Voter Program following the implementation of new “protections.” While we appreciate the acknowledgment of previous data issues and the effort to improve system accuracy, these actions fail to address the broader concerns surrounding election security in Oregon.

Ensuring fair, secure, and transparent elections must be the highest priority. However, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office has yet to address critical issues, including an ongoing lawsuit regarding violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for denying access to voter registration list maintenance records supplied by the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Additionally, another lawsuit asserts Oregon has failed to comply with NVRA requirements to remove inactive voter registrations, as mandated by federal law.

Oregon’s election laws continue to raise concerns. For example, under ORS 254.470, ballots are accepted up to seven days after Election Day if postmarked by Election Day. However, an alarming provision states that if a ballot lacks a postal indicator or the indicator is illegible, it is assumed to have been mailed on Election Day and is counted. This loophole undermines confidence in the electoral process and must be addressed.

Nationally, Oregon ranks among the lowest in election security, ranked #48 based on extensive research by The Heritage Foundation. While Secretary Read’s announcement focuses on technical and audit fixes to data systems, true voter roll protections require substantive policy changes to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in Oregon’s elections.

The Oregon Republican Party remains committed to advocating for meaningful election security reforms and urges state leaders to take decisive action to restore confidence in Oregon’s electoral process.