Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed the country’s first-ever automatic voter registration into Oregon state law on Monday, reported Addicting Info. The law is the first of its kind in America.
The “Motor Voter” registration law will use information from Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to automatically register eligible voters. Those eligible will have 21 days to opt out should they wish not to be registered to vote. The law is a progressive advance in the effort to promote voting among younger voters, students, and working families.
“I challenge every other state in this nation to examine their policies and to find ways to ensure there are as few barriers as possible for citizens’ right to vote,” said Brown.
The Oregon Secretary of State will use the state’s DMV information to send a postcard that will include the opt-out option. The postcard will show the recipients how to choose a party. Those who make no choice will be listed as unaffiliated.
Every Republican in the Oregon state legislature voted against the automatic voter registration law because they believe it violates voter privacy.
“A one-size-fits-all approach to voter registration does not work for our most vulnerable citizens that could be endangered if their personal information is suddenly made public,” said Oregon Republican state Sen. Kim Thatcher in a statement.
At the Oregon Secretary of State website, one can enter the name and birthdate of any Oregonian and find out their address, party affiliation, and registered county. Access to such records is the same in many other states across the country. Oregon Republicans are just trying to find a way to curtail progress once again.
