In a move designed to enhance the integrity of the electoral process, Oregon's Secretary of State's Office has established a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) targeting improvements to the state's Oregon Motor Voter (OMV) system. Citing the importance of accuracy and trust in voter registration, the office has called upon a diverse group of experts and community representatives to review and refine the program's administrative aspects.
The committee formation comes in the aftermath of a disclosure that more than 1,800 records were mistakenly sent to the Secretary of State for registration due to technical and clerical errors within OMV. "This committee is about accountability and action,” said Secretary of State Tobias Read, “By bringing together experts, community voices, and those on the front lines, we’re making sure Oregon’s voter registration system is accurate, secure, and built on trust," in a statement made by the Oregon Secretary of State's newsroom.
Members of the newly-founded RAC include election workers, staff from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV), county clerks, and immigration specialists. All will collaborate to assess the recent independent Baker Tilly audit of OMV and make subsequent recommendations for enhancements.
The RAC's meetings, scheduled from September through November 2025, will be open to the public, ensuring transparency as the rules are revised. Proposed rules drawn from these deliberations are expected to be presented in December 2025, for public scrutiny, before final adoption in January 2026, as per the Oregon Secretary of State's newsroom. Already, an array of improvements has been made to the OMV system, and the committee's work is anticipated to further solidify the reliability of voter registration for all Oregon residents.
