Judicial Watch has announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a statement of interest in support of its federal lawsuit against Oregon’s secretary of state over failures to clean up the state’s voter rolls in accordance with federal law. U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane has scheduled a hearing in the case for June 18 in Eugene.
Filed in October 2024, the suit argues that Oregon has violated Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by failing to make a “reasonable effort” to remove ineligible voters from its registration rolls. Judicial Watch alleges that 29 of Oregon’s 36 counties removed few or no registrations, and that 35 counties reported registration rates over 100%. The group also claims Oregon has the nation’s highest known rate of inactive voter registrations.
The Justice Department’s filing states that the NVRA clearly obligates states—not local jurisdictions—to conduct voter list maintenance. “This case presents important questions regarding enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act,” the DOJ stated, arguing that Oregon law cannot override federal mandates.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the importance of accurate voter rolls in a DOJ press release, saying, “States have specific obligations under the list maintenance provisions of the NVRA, and the Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements.”
Judicial Watch contends the state has broadly failed to follow federally required procedures, including removing names of voters who do not respond to confirmation notices and fail to vote in two consecutive federal elections. The group is asking the court to compel Oregon officials to comply with these obligations.
Judicial Watch noted that its NVRA litigation efforts nationwide have helped lead to the removal of five million outdated or invalid registrations from voter rolls across multiple states and jurisdictions.
Read the Judicial Watch Press Release
