The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Jan. 8, 2026
As a solution to declining voter registration rates, 24 states and the District of Columbia implemented automatic voter registration, also known as AVR or “motor-voter.” Mistakes including the registration of noncitizens have occurred, but it’s also resulted in helping millions more Americans register to vote.
AVR allows an eligible citizen to show citizenship, age and residence documents and register to vote while at the DMV or sometimes other state agencies, in addition to local election offices.
As we recently reported, Texas is investigating 2700 noncitizens on its voter registration lists, including some who may have accidentally been added at the state’s Department of Safety. But an average of 100,000 Texans each month out of 18 million registered voters uses the DMV to register or update voter registrations.
Beginning in 2024, Oregon found its DMV had registered 1,700 noncitizens to vote, due to systems and training deficiencies. But only nine of those noncitizens voted, and the state took immediate corrective action. From 2016 to 2024, Oregon’s motor-voter law has registered almost 767,000 of its 3 million voters through AVR, and raised its number of registered voters by almost 20%.
While Oregon and other states are considering more changes, studies show where AVR is implemented, voter registration improves, particularly among younger voters.
We’ve linked to those studies at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
NPR – Some Noncitizens Do Wind Up Registered To Vote, But Usually Not On Purpose
Univ. of St. Thomas Law – Driver’s Licenses for All Meets Automatic Voter Registration: A Recipe for Noncitizen Voter Fraud or a Pathway to Electoral Justice?
Texas Tribune – Texas counties are looking into “potential noncitizens” on voter rolls. Here’s what they’re finding.
Oregon Public Broadcasting – Hundreds of noncitizens were registered to vote in Oregon through state error
Oregon Capital Chronicle – Wrongly registered voters were a mistake, not a policy decision
Oregon Secretary of State – Following DMV review of all relevant records, Oregon Secretary of State identifies 9 potentially ineligible voters with improper registration records
Oregon Dept. of Transportation – After-Action Report Regarding Oregon Motor Voter Issues
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – Automatic voter registration
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Want ADM sent to your email? Sign up here!
Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #AVR #MotorVoter #VoterRegistration #Texas #Oregon