Oregon could increase voter rolls by hundreds of thousands following Governor Kate Brown's bill signing on Monday.
In a ceremony, Brown called the so-called “motor voter” law her top priority. She had promoted the bill as Secretary of State.
The new law uses driver’s license data to register Oregon residents as voters if they are not already. Potential new voters will have a chance to opt out of the program.
Brown says the bill means less work for Oregonians looking to register. "This bill is about making government work better - treating citizens as customers and giving them access to the service they expect. When someone moves to Oregon, why should they have to fill out multiple forms for multiple agencies? They should be able to complete one form, one time."
The bill passed along party lines earlier this month, with Democrats largely supporting it. Republicans who voted against the law say they’re worried about data privacy when the D-M-V sends information to elections officials.
Copyright 2015 Oregon Public Broadcasting
