Online Voter Registration Passes in Oregon

Thanks to great work by Oregon Bus Project founder-turned state legislator Jefferson Smith (and other legislators), online voter registration is about to become a reality in Oregon:

Online Voter Registration Approved by Senate

Online registration plan is simple, secure and has proven successful

SALEM – The Senate today voted in favor of HB 2386, which would allow Oregonians to register to vote online. Online voter registration creates a new avenue to register that is simple, hassle-free and, above all, secure.

"Oregonians pay bills online, check bank accounts online, rent movies online, pay taxes online. We can change our address with the US Postal Service and DMV online. With this bill, we will move our voter registration system into the 21st century by allowing people to register to vote online,” said Representative Ben Cannon (D-Portland), who is the Chief Co-Sponsor of the bill along with Representative Jefferson Smith (D-Portland). "This bill takes a significant step toward a secure, hassle-free system of voter registration."

House Bill 2386 would allow eligible voters with valid Oregon Driver Licenses or ID cards to register to vote online through a secure connection on the Secretary of State website. A registrant’s signature from DMV will be used to match against the signature on the ballot. A registrant would first have to indicate under penalty of law that they are a citizen and that they are at least 17 years old, just like on the current form.

“HB 2386 represents a lot of work by folks who are passionate about access to democracy,” said Representative Jefferson Smith (D-Portland). “This bill’s passage is a milestone in Oregon’s voter access movement. We believe that democracy works better if more people do it.”

HB 2386 would model Oregon’s online voter registration system on those of Washington and Arizona, where the programs have proven extremely popular. In 2003, the first year of Arizona's Online Voter Registration program, 25% of all new voter registrations were done online. In 2007, that percentage jumped to 72%. After Washington implemented online voter registration, 1,634 online applications were recorded in the first three days and 38% of all Washington voter registrations in 2008 were done online.

“Oregon needs laws that make registering to vote accessible and easy for every eligible voter,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “This is simple, stable and will bring more voters, especially younger voters, into the process of shaping Oregon’s future.”

HB 2386 is headed back to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments. It will then head to the Governor for his signature.

Now we need to see movement on more reforms that can make voter registration and participation painless, like automatic registration or election day registration.