Salem, Ore. Today, HB 2177 passed the Oregon Senate in a 17-13 partisan vote. Known as the “Motor Voter” bill, automatically registers any Oregon driver to vote without their consent.
The governor will most likely sign the bill. It was a bill she pushed for as Secretary of State in recent sessions. But the controversial bill couldn’t get enough traction in a more evenly split legislature.
Senate Republicans expressed concerns about the risk of automatic voter registration for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Currently, personal information of all registered Oregon voters, including name and address, is publicly available. By transferring personal data from the Department of Motor Vehicles to voter registration rolls, some Oregonians will have their information publicized without their knowledge.
Those in favor of the bill testified that voting needs to be accessible and that we live in a social media society where there is an expectation that things are quick and easy and done by computer.
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