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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 8 March 2019

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Uncounted Oregon votes expose election vulnerability

By ANDREW SELSKY There is no indication that in Oregon do not keep The incident last November County election office in
Associated Press Oregon’s voter system has records on which groups involved a PAC called De- Portland.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Days been penetrated by fraud collect completed ballots fend Oregon, which was “We take this mistake very
before last November’s by use of go-betweens to from voters, or how often registered with the state seriously and sincerely
elections, members of a apologize to impacted vot-
political action committee ers who entrusted us with
in Oregon went door-to- their ballots,” Uherbelau
door in Portland and its sub- said in a statement.
urbs and collected filled-in She would not say how
ballots from voters, saying many ballots the group
they would send them in. collected overall or what
But the committee deliv- the group’s motive was for
ered about 100 of those doing so.
ballots to an elections of- The group’s collection ef-
fice a day after the elec- fort was legal, as long as
tion. They were not count- the box they used had a
ed, disenfranchising those sign identifying it as an un-
voters. The secretary of official ballot drop box, said
state fined the committee Tim Scott, director of elec-
$94,750. tions for Multnomah Coun-
As doubts arise in the na- ty After Scott received the
tion about security of elec- 97 ballots late, he notified
tion systems that can be the secretary of state’s of-
hacked and about reli- fice. “It was clear that it
ance on aging or inad- was a violation of the stat-
equate voting machines, utes, and I felt that it was
more attention is being my duty to make sure it was
paid to voting by mail. Af- reported to the secretary of
ter Oregon pioneered the state, who has the resourc-
all-mail vote in 2000, Colo- es to investigate,” Scott
rado and Washington state said in a phone interview.
followed suit. The county elections office
The incident in Oregon ex- encourages voters to use
posed a potential election official drop sites, he said.
vulnerability. An organiza- The secretary of state’s of-
tion collecting ballots might fice said in its Feb. 12 deci-
mishandle ballots, as hap- sion that because the PAC
pened last year, or even In this Nov. 6, 2018 file photo, a voter in Lake Oswego, Ore., places her ballot in a designated drop delivered the ballots late
box outside City Hall.
dump them to try to sway Associated Press “each voter who entrusted
an election. Defend Oregon canvassers
No one knows how many collect ballots. this happens. elections division last May lost their respective right to
groups in Oregon collect And from the governor on “Organizations might keep and works “to protect Or- have their ballot counted,”
ballots to turn in because down to county clerks, of- track but we don’t ask egon from extremist groups adding: “The harm of not
state government officials ficials praise a system al- for that information,” said with dangerous agendas.” having a ballot counted
in charge of elections don’t lowing voters to cast bal- Debra Royal, chief of staff The group said one of its is more severe than any
track the groups. lots at their leisure through to the secretary of state, canvassers removed 97 other violation of election
News about the Oregon the post office or at official Oregon’s top elections of- completed ballots from a law.”
ballots being rejected and drop boxes because the ficial. lock box on election night, University of Oregon po-
the fine on the PAC last voters don’t have to leave A study last year by North- Nov. 6, checked them litical science professor Pris-
month comes as there’s work on election day or ern Illinois University ranked against a spreadsheet, cilla Southwell said if vot-
renewed scrutiny of ballot travel long distances to Oregon as the easiest state and put them into a box to ers have doubts that their
collection efforts. A po- crowded polling stations. for voting in the coun- be delivered to the elec- ballots were properly de-
litical operative working on They also say the system try, analyzing 33 variables tions office or to an official livered by a go-between,
behalf of a GOP candidate has the added benefit of dealing with registration drop box. they can check the secre-
in North Carolina was ar- leaving a paper trail and and voting laws. In Oregon, But no one delivered them tary of state website to see
rested after being accused presents fewer opportuni- citizens are automatically that day. The box was dis- if they were received.
of illegally collecting mail- ties for hacking. registered to vote when covered the next day and “It seems strange that that
in absentee ballots. That But the recent incident they go to the motor vehi- was driven by Defend Or- many people would will-
November race will be re- showed that state and cles department for drivers’ egon director Becca Uher- ingly turn over their ballots,”
done. county election officials licenses, IDs or permits. belau to the Multnomah she said.q