Oregon House Bill HB3468

Oregon 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

Relating to updating voter registration information; prescribing an effective date.

Summary

HB 3468 revises Oregon’s voter registration laws to limit how county clerks may use information received from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). Under the bill, clerks may use those agency records to register eligible voters, but they are prohibited from using that information to change or update the registration of someone who is already registered. The measure also clarifies that a voter may update registration information by submitting a registration card through the existing registration process. The bill expands and reorganizes the statutory framework for automatic and agency-assisted voter registration. It preserves the existing 21-day notice period before a newly eligible person is added to the voter rolls or sent a ballot, and it adds procedures for handling records that may lack an electronic signature. It also directs the Secretary of State to adopt rules, coordinate data transfer standards, and ensure compliance with federal voter-registration requirements, while limiting the use of personal data to voter registration purposes only.

Impact

HB 3468 would amend ORS 247.012, 247.013, 247.017, and 247.018 to narrow the use of ODOT and OHA data in voter registration administration and to codify that agency-supplied information may not be used to update an existing elector’s registration. It would also reinforce the role of registration cards and electronic registration systems for updates, while maintaining county clerks’ duties to process new registrations, verify eligibility, and follow notice and waiting-period requirements before adding voters to the rolls or issuing ballots. The bill would take effect 91 days after adjournment sine die.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or roll-call history to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as an administrative and election-integrity clarification rather than a major policy overhaul, with a focus on restricting the use of agency data for updating existing registrations and preserving established registration procedures.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the bill’s restriction on county clerks using ODOT and OHA information to update already-registered voters, which could be viewed by supporters as a safeguard against unintended changes and by critics as an unnecessary limitation on voter-roll maintenance. Another likely issue is the handling of automatic or agency-assisted registration without a signature in some circumstances, even though the bill adds verification and rulemaking requirements. The bill also raises privacy and data-use questions because it allows transfer of personal information only for voter-registration purposes and requires safeguards to ensure ballots are not counted without an electronic signature where required.