SALEM, OR —Today, as Governor Tina Kotek lifted the pause on the transmission of Oregon
Motor Voter Data from Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) to the Secretary of
State’s office (SoS), Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read announced new protections he is
putting into place to help prevent future errors in Oregon’s voter registration process.
The steps the SoS will take include:
1. Random Sampling – SoS staff will randomly sample Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)
files once every month and have the DMV confirm that each file was accurately and
appropriately entered and dispatched. This sample will be in addition to other data
integrity efforts underway at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
2. Daily Control File – The DMV and SoS will add a simple, daily confirmation step
whereby DMV and SoS staff will ensure that the number of Oregon Motor Voter files the
SoS receives is the same as the number the DMV sent.
3. Review Panel – At least once per year, ODOT will host a review panel from SoS,
including election, internal audit, information technology, and/or administrative staff, as
well as representatives from the Oregon Association of County Clerks to review the
registration process and procedures and the success of existing controls put in place at
ODOT.
Secretary Read will also follow through on the voter roll protection commitments made by the
previous administration, including hiring a new position solely dedicated to overseeing the Oregon
Motor Voter program with a counterpart at the DMV. Furthermore, with the lifting of the Oregon
Motor Voter pause, the SoS is committed to working in partnership with all the County Clerks and
elections directors to address the data that has accumulated since the pause began with the goal of
ensuring that all eligible Oregonians have up-to-date, accurate voter registrations.