Oregon’s voter record management practices are under scrutiny as calls for a Department of Justice investigation intensify amid allegations of Civil Rights Act violations.
At a Glance
- Public Interest Legal Foundation urges DOJ to investigate Oregon Secretary of State for mishandling voter records
- Allegations include destruction of records indicating wrongful voter removals
- Concerns raised about Electronic Registration Information Center’s (ERIC) accuracy and left-wing ties
- Oregon’s DMV “motor voter system” mistakenly registered over 300 noncitizens since 2021
- Potential violations of National Voter Registration Act and Civil Rights Act of 1960
Watchdog Group Calls for Federal Investigation
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is pressing the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read’s handling of voter registration records. At the heart of the controversy are allegations that Oregon officials have destroyed crucial records that could indicate which voters were wrongfully removed from the rolls, potentially violating both the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
These serious allegations have raised concerns about the integrity of Oregon’s voter rolls and the state’s compliance with federal law. The National Voter Registration Act mandates that states maintain records related to voter roll accuracy for a minimum of two years, while the Civil Rights Act extends this requirement to 22 months.
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), an elections database with reported left-wing ties, is at the center of this controversy. ERIC was designed to assist states in cleaning their voter rolls but has faced criticism for inaccuracies, including incorrectly labeling deceased voters as eligible. PILF has been actively seeking “deceased retractions” reports from ERIC, which list voters wrongly flagged as dead. However, Oregon reportedly does not retain these critical reports.
“Oregon officials do not retain monthly alerts from the Electronic Registration Information Center (‘ERIC’) relating to registrants who were previously and inaccurately flagged as deceased,” PILF Research Director Logan Churchwell said.
“It’s important that we are able to study patterns between ERIC’s Deceased Reports, Oregon’s reliance upon them, and the elapsed time before a Retraction,” Churchwell added.
PILF’s data reveals a troubling trend: 55% of registrants wrongly categorized as deceased were removed from rolls before retraction reports were issued. This statistic underscores the potential for significant errors in voter roll management and the importance of maintaining accurate records.
Legal Implications and Broader Concerns
The legal ramifications of these allegations are significant. PILF argues that a federal investigation is warranted due to the clear legal requirements for document retention. The organization has successfully obtained “deceased retractions” reports from seven ERIC member states without legal action, containing vital information such as names, registration dates, and voter ID numbers.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, ERIC’s Executive Director, Shane Hamlin, suggested that “deceased retractions could potentially be shielded under state laws,” raising questions about transparency and accountability in the voter registration process.
Further complicating matters, Oregon’s DMV “motor voter system” has come under fire for mistakenly registering over 300 noncitizens to vote since 2021. Audits have revealed more than 1,500 potentially ineligible voters on the rolls, highlighting systemic issues in the state’s voter registration procedures.
As the controversy unfolds, there are growing demands for a thorough investigation and corrective measures. The integrity of the electoral process and public confidence in the system are at stake. With allegations of records destruction and potential violations of federal law, the spotlight is on Oregon’s election officials to address these concerns and ensure compliance with voter registration laws.
