Oregonians without a driver’s license can now use social security number to register online to vote

By CARLOS FUENTES/The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregonians who don’t have a driver’s license but are eligible to vote can now register to vote online using an updated form, saving them the hassle of mailing physical paperwork, the Secretary of State’s Office announced Tuesday.

The new form requires eligible voters to either provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Previously, only Oregonians with driver’s license numbers could register to vote online, while all eligible residents with or without licenses could fill out a physical form.

The update was a requirement of a 2022 Democrat-backed bill that passed the Legislature along party lines. While Democrats praised the policy for expanding access to citizens wanting to register to vote, Republicans said the change would erode trust in the state’s elections and voting system.

Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat, touted the convenience of the new form in a Tuesday press release. His office said elections staff will “carefully verify” the Social Security numbers and signatures submitted through the online form before officially registering citizens to vote.

“Every citizen should get the same opportunity to hold their government accountable at the ballot box,” Read said. “This update will keep online voter registration secure and accurate while making it more available to eligible voters.”

Under Oregon law, only U.S. citizens 16 or older can register to vote. Many Oregonians are automatically registered to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or state I.D. at a DMV through the state’s motor voter law.