Bend, OR – Oregon officials are investigating a potential case of voter fraud involving three individuals who may have illegally cast ballots despite not being U.S. citizens. The investigation stems from an error in the state’s automatic voter registration system, which mistakenly registered non-citizens to vote.

A spokesperson for the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that the names of the three individuals suspected of voting without citizenship have been sent to the state Department of Justice for further review. The Department of Justice has not yet determined whether it will pursue a formal investigation.

The error was part of a broader issue that affected over 1,600 individuals, who were erroneously registered to vote due to mistakes made by the Oregon Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV). The problem surfaced after the DMV failed to properly verify citizenship documents during the registration process, leading to non-citizens being registered to vote when they obtained or renewed their driver’s licenses, permits, or non-operating IDs.

This issue began after a 2019 state law removed the requirement for applicants to prove U.S. citizenship when applying for a driver’s license. While the law requires proof of identity and residency, such as a passport or utility bill, individuals did not have to prove citizenship, which was a key issue for voter registration.

Last September, following a report from the Institute for Responsive Government, DMV officials conducted an internal review of their voter registration process. It was discovered that foreign passports and birth certificates were mistakenly entered into the system as U.S. documents, causing individuals without citizenship to be automatically registered to vote. In addition, about 300 residents of U.S. territories, such as American Samoa, were incorrectly registered. These residents are allowed to vote in presidential primary elections but are not eligible to vote in general federal or state elections.

The DMV has since made improvements to prevent further errors, including redesigning the software used by front-line workers and adding new prompts to ensure identity documents are verified correctly. The department now conducts monthly reviews of voter registration records, and since November, no new mistaken registrations have been identified.

Despite these efforts, the investigations into the erroneous registrations continue. Some of the individuals involved have since been confirmed to be U.S. citizens, but non-citizens who voted could face legal consequences, including fines, imprisonment, and potential deportation.

Under Oregon’s automatic voter registration law, ballots are sent automatically to all registered voters. This has raised concerns, particularly among Democrats, who have expressed sympathy for those who may not have been aware that they were not eligible to vote. House Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard) noted during a legislative hearing that many of the affected individuals were simply following the government’s instructions.

“These people didn’t ask to be registered to vote, but they were,” Bowman said. “The government sent them ballots, we all talked about the importance of voting, and then they voted.”

In response to the issue, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek ordered a pause to the state’s motor voter law while an external audit is conducted by the Baker Tilly Advisory Group. The final report from the audit is expected in April.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are pushing for reforms to the system. House Minority Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) introduced two bills aimed at requiring Oregonians to prove citizenship before being registered to vote. House Bill 3473 would end automatic registration, while House Bill 2442 would mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Currently, only Arizona has a law that mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration. Arizona’s law creates a bifurcated system where voters who can prove citizenship receive ballots with all races, while those who cannot only receive ballots for federal races.