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Oregon's Automatic Voter Registration Law Kicks In January First

Shamus Hannan of the Oregon Secretary of State's office describes how the state's new automatic voter registration law will work.
Chris Lehman
/
Northwest News Network
Shamus Hannan of the Oregon Secretary of State's office describes how the state's new automatic voter registration law will work.

Oregon elections officials expect to add tens of thousands of new voters to the rolls starting in January. That's when the state's new automatic voter registration law takes effect.

Here's how the new law will work: When you get or renew an Oregon driver’s license or ID, the system will check whether you're registered to vote. If not -- and if you're otherwise eligible -- the state will register you automatically. You'll get a letter in the mail a few days later telling you this. You'll have three weeks to opt out if voting just isn't your thing.

Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins said the goal is to make sure as many people can participate in the democratic process as possible.

"When Election Day comes, when people are the most interested in taking part, that they are prepared and are in the system and can do a vote,” she said.

Atkins expects about 10,000 people a month will be registered using the new automatic system. People who are registered to vote under the new law won't be affiliated with any political party unless they choose to be.

Oregonians will still be able to register to vote using existing methods, including online or by returning a paper form to their county clerk's office. Oregon is the first state in the nation to automatically register people to vote when they obtain a drivers' license or ID.

Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.