Oregon Automatic Voter Registration Program Praised In New Report

PORTLAND, OR – A new report praises Oregon's system for registering new voters when they get their driver's license. The report says that the "Oregon model" of automatic voter registration holds potential to help get people – particularly young people – involved in their communities.

The report by Center for American Progress holds up Oregon's motor voter efforts – along with California's – because of "the success these policies have had in registering eligible young people to vote and increasing their civic participation.

The report states that between Jan. 2016 and August 2017, Oregon registered 390,000 potential new voters – more than 50 percent of whom were younger than 40-years-old.

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Oregon Governor Kate Brown – who made the state the first in country to pass automatic voter registration – says that the report shows how the state is now a national model for inclusive democracy.

"States like Georgia and Texas are passing voter suppression laws targeted at young people," Brown says.

"In Oregon, I'm committed to ensuring every eligible young voter has an opportunity to have their voice heard. Young people have a vested interest in Oregon's future and should be able to register and cast their vote free from barriers."

Since Oregon adopted its motor voter law, 17 states and the District of Columbia have passed some form of it.

Brown says that Oregon now has one of the highest voter participation rates in the country.