​​​Prompted by an inquiry from an outside entity, DMV conducted a review of customer data that went to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for registration as part of the Oregon Motor Voter system. DMV’s review found clerical, technical, and policy errors that resulted in 1,619 individuals being registered to vote who did not provide proof of their eligibility. 

Contrary to some reporting, we do not know all 1,619 individuals are not citizens. In fact, since the error was discovered, many have confirmed their citizenship. What we know is that they did not provide proof of citizenship when they interacted with the DMV, and, therefore, should not have been sent into the voter registration system. ​​

The majority of errors transmitted to the SoS occurred when DMV staff inadvertently chose the wrong document from a drop-down menu in the new system, choosing a document that would prove U.S. citizenship when that was not accurate. Additional details on the system and policy errors can be found via the DMV​.

The Secretary of State and county election offices inactivated the mistaken voter registrations right away. People whose registrations are “inactive” will not receive a ballot unless they contact their county elections office and show that they are eligible to vote. None of these people intended to register, represented themselves as eligible to vote, or made any claim to U.S. citizenship. We are sorry for the error and want to be clear that the people mistakenly registered bear no responsibility for it.

​ As of February 2025, the Secretary of State’s office determined that only 17 of these individuals actually voted, and none of those votes could have impacted the outcome of an election. The Elections Division opened investigations into all 17 voting histories. To date, 8 cases are closed, 6 cases are still under active investigation by the Secretary of State’s office, and 3 cases were referred to the Oregon Department of Justice for further investigation. 

The Secretary of State’s Office and county election offices are committed to expanding access to our democracy for all eligible Oregonians. We are also committed to ensuring the privacy and safety of all Oregonians from threats, harassment, and voter intimidation.

​​To be eligible to vote in Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oregon, and at least 18 years old. U.S. citizens who are Oregon residents and at least 16 years old may register to vote, but they may not actually vote until they are 18 years old on election day. 

If you are not eligible, your registration has already been inactivated. You will not receive a ballot and will not be allowed to vote. 

If you are a U.S. citizen or if you become one, you have an opportunity to update your voter registration and vote. Please contact your county elections office to update your voter registration. Contact information for each of the county elections offices can be found on our website here. 

Copies of the letter are available online in English and 13 additional languages. ​

​​​We will be sending an official letter to the people we know were erroneously registered saying that the mistake was DMV’s fault and you were registered through no fault of your own. If you need an additional copy of the letter you received, please contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division.

Oregon residents who were erroneously registered may be eligible for free immigration legal services from Oregon’s Universal Representation program, Equity Corps of Oregon (ECO). ECO is aware of this issue and ready to provide expedited access to legal help for people who receive this letter. Contact ECO at 1-888-274-7292 or visit their webpage at equitycorps.org​. Please indicate to them that you have received the letter from the Secretary of State.​

The Secretary of State’s office will not refer anyone for criminal prosecution because the DMV mistakenly registered them to vote. A clerical error at DMV caused these mistaken registrations, not the unlawful actions of any of the people registered.​

Of the over 1,200 people affected by this error, our records show that only ten people voted. We now know one of those people was eligible to vote. The others may also have been eligible at the time they voted. We are looking at these instances of voting on a case-by-case basis. The few people who voted will receive a letter from the Secretary of State’s office asking for further information. 

No. Oregon law prohibits us from disclosing information concerning citizenship or immigration status except as otherwise required by law (ORS 180.805(4)(a)). 

​​​​DMV’s mistake has not and will not affect the results of any Oregon elections. DMV’s mistake affected 1,619 people — 0.05% of the people registered to vote in Oregon. Of that group of 1,619, only 17 people voted, and many of them were citizens. The people who were affected by DMV’s mistake live across the state.

While this mistake is regrettable, the number of people registered by mistake is too small to affect the outcome of Oregon elections. DMV and the Secretary of State have identified how the mistake occurred and have fixed the problem so it will not happen again. ​​

Automatic voter registration remains one of the most effective ways to ensure all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. Noncitizen voting remains exceedingly rare both in Oregon and nationwide.

​​If you are a U.S. National from American Samoan, and you believe you have been incorrectly registered to vote or incorrectly inactivated, please contact your county elections office to make sure your voter registration information is accurate. You can find your county’s contact information on our website​.​