At about 8 p.m. Monday, drivers line up to reach the ballot drop box on the Fifth Avenue side of the Linn County Courthouse.
There’s a drive-up ballot box on the back side of the Linn County Courthouse in Albany. For a little while there on Monday night, it was a busy place.
What these people were doing, besides dropping off their ballots on Election Day Eve, was to remind me of Oregon’s Motor Voter system. They were actual motor voters, regardless of how or when they became registered to vote.
As you know, under the official Oregon Motor Voter Program, the state registers Oregon residents aged 16 or older who are U.S. citizens to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or permit or ID card, or when they renew one of those, or when they ask to have one replaced. (They can’t vote unless they are at least 18 when the election takes place.)
If you want the details, check out the Election Division’s manual on the subject here.
Only people with documents proving their citizenship are eligible for this form of registration. But last month it developed that the DMV had been sloppy in ascertaining or recording the citizenship status of applicants. As it turned out, more than 1,000 non-citizens were found to have been registered.
Governor Kotek called for an independent audit of the system, and after a couple of days the story of the screwup disappeared from the news.
None of this has anything to do with people who drove to the ballot box outside the courthouse on Election Eve. Maybe they didn’t have time till then. Maybe they agonized over their votes for weeks. Or maybe their work schedule on Tuesday is full, and Monday night was the only time they had.
Whatever the reason, here they were, late on Monday, doing their civic duty and making sure their votes were cast. (hh)
It is the same section of our population that waits on their tax deadlines, but has a burst of energy when there is a run on products in the stores. This section also mows their lawns and gets the weed eaters out at 8pm prior to rainstorms. Love ’em!
Shame on you Hasso for talking about citizens voting without the correct registration in place. Our system of voting found those who were apparently fraudulent and discarded them. But this year, out of all years, why would you bring that up? Were you trying to put mistrust into our wonderful voting system? It works well and people who work there are honest citizens. Why not shine the light on how well it works rather than cast aspersion on it.?
Okay, I’m sure nobody cares but I want to comment. I’m one of those people who liked going to the polls. When my children were little I took them along so they could observe me casting my ballot, after I presented my voters registration card and signed my name. When mail in voting started, I filled out my ballot as soon as it came but waited to drop it off behind courthouse on my way to work so I could vote on Election Day. I didn’t view it as waiting until the last minute but voting on the day that was set aside to do this. Now, however, I fill it out and drop it off the same day it comes in the mail.
Is there any way you can follow up on the independent study of the over 1,000 non-citizens who were registered to vote?
Thanks,
J. Johnson
Yes please, a follow up on the votes. It would not be the first time Oregon dropped the ball on votes in major election. And yes we too liked the way it used to be on voting day in person with proper ID!