North Coast Today

Oregon has been added to an online voter registration database, with the purpose of increasing voter transparency across the nation.

On Feb. 18, the Voter Reference Foundation (VRF) added the states of Oregon and South Dakota to its online voter registration database called VoteRef.com, according to a press release. With these additions, the database includes over 36% of the U.S. population. 

“Our quest to build a nationwide database continues, and as it grows – with nearly 40% of the country’s population now included – its usefulness increases exponentially,” Gina Swoboda, executive director of the VRF, said.

The goal of the online voter registration database is to increase transparency by maintaining an updated file of registered voters and their most accurate information. 

Oregon and South Dakota represent the 17th and 18th states to be added to the database, behind Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The VRF has set a goal to add all 50 states to the database by the end of 2022.

Through the process of reviewing certified election data, the database has the ability to show discrepancy between the number of voters and the number of casted votes. Detected discrepancies indicate the need for better record keeping and accountability, the VRF said.

There is a wide range of discrepancy among states, according to the VRF. The discrepancy in the state of Oregon is 31,619 votes. Yet, in North Carolina, it is only 42.

Swoboda and the VRF believe the restoration of faith in our elections will ensue once full election transparency is obtained nationwide. "South Dakota and Oregon are vastly different states, but they fit together as puzzle pieces in this innovative effort,” Swoboda said.