State Representative Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) has brought forward HB 4133 to use the last four digits of a voter's social security to register voters online. Currently, this can be done on a paper application, but not online, using an Oregon ID or drivers license. Third party organizations will be able to gather and submit those social security numbers for voters as well.

Chair Barbara Smith Warner and the committee voted it to the House Floor without discussing the tremendous submission of 172 Oregonians who took the time to let these legislators know they opposed the measure as opposed to the 17 who approved of the idea. That is a 10-1 ratio against the measure.

Many of those who supported the bill may possibly benefit as one of the third party entities that will have the ability to gather social security numbers and register voters through their organizations. What happens to this information before and after it is submitted online? What if they make an app to do this? Those processes were not discussed.

Some of the supporters were Planned Parenthood, Oregon AFSCME, SEIU, ACLU, PCUN, Next Up Action Group and Oregon Student Association. Some stated that they were Political Policy Analyst or Political Strategists for these various groups. Their testimony was about modernizing the election system, equity, and ease in voting.

The testimony against the bill was spirited and diverse.

Steve Mangold said, “Who are these third party organizations?” and Robert Hafer suggested that “this will make forever Oregon voting corrupt, regardless of party in power”

“I want all legal, eligible voters to be heard and counted, regardless of their party affiliation,” said Sloan Neal. “That's why it's absolutely critical we finally get serious about election integrity. This system is fraught with potential abuse. Voters who are legal residents of this state should not have their voices and votes watered down or jeopardized by some swiss-cheese system that allows any bad actor to cast a fraudulent vote. Protect legitimate votes!”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Marcus Winston considered the technical aspect of the bill, “I Strongly oppose HB 4133. It is a completely misguided and disingenuous attempt to make "voter registration easy". Specifically, subsection 5 requiring an Application Programming Interface will open up the voter registration system to incalculable fraud. Computer APIs are very simple to hack and misuse. I know this because I am, by profession, a computer engineer. Putting an API on the voter registration system is, quite simply, to open it up to untold fraud. The State would be negligent to allow such a thing. The only responsible action is to let this bill die in committee.”

The bill passed out of the committee on party lines. 4-3. It now waits a second hearing on the house floor and then a vote by the entire House before it goes to the Senate.


--Janice Dysinger

Post Date: 2022-02-14 11:22:21

Last Update: 2022-02-14 11:52:28