A series of high-profile resignations rocks the Oregon Secretary of State's office as multiple scandals come to light.
According to The Federalist, Elections Director Molly Woon submitted her resignation "in lieu of removal" by incoming Secretary of State Tobias Read, following revelations that hundreds of noncitizens were registered to vote through the state's "motor voter" system.
The resignation announcement comes amid mounting pressure over various controversies during Woon's tenure, including her involvement in a cryptocurrency donation investigation and issues with the state's automatic voter registration system.
Several other top officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers, Chief of Staff Ben Morris, Legislative Director Kathy Wai, and Audits Director Kip Memmott, have also announced their departures.
DMV System Raises Voter Eligibility Questions
State audits revealed that more than 1,600 potentially ineligible voters were registered through Oregon's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) system since 2021.
The investigation uncovered that over 54,600 individuals with "unknown citizenship" status had their voter registrations processed between June 2021 and October 2024. These discoveries emerged after the Institute for Responsive Government (IRG) inquired about the motor voter system's operations.
The automatic voter registration system, which Woon previously praised, came under scrutiny for its simplified approach. In a video for the Skoll Foundation, Woon explained the registration process, stating:
[T]he first [option on the card] is 'Do Nothing' — just do nothing, and you'll become automatically registered to vote... [T]o me, it is really unfortunate if someone is prevented from getting a ballot for any reason whatsoever.
The system's flaws became apparent when over 300 noncitizens were found to be registered voters, prompting concerns about election integrity and oversight.
Political Connections Surface
Woon's background as deputy director of the Democrat Party of Oregon from 2018 to 2020 drew attention when she refused to recuse herself from investigating a $500,000 donation made by an FTX executive to the state Democratic Party in 2022.
Her connections to left-wing organizations also came under scrutiny after emails revealed she participated in planning a briefing call with the Center for Secure and Modern Elections following the noncitizen registration revelations.
The Institute for Responsive Government, which initially prompted the investigation into the motor voter system, was identified as a project of The New Venture Fund under Arabella Advisors. The organization had been distributing grants to local election offices leading up to the November election, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Next Steps for Oregon Elections
Molly Woon's resignation, effective January 14, 2025, marks a significant transition in Oregon's election administration. The discovery of noncitizens on voter rolls and the subsequent revelation of systemic issues with the motor voter program have prompted calls for reform.
Democrat Tobias Read, currently serving as state treasurer, will inherit these challenges when he assumes the role of Secretary of State, tasked with restoring confidence in the state's election system and addressing the vulnerabilities in the automatic voter registration process.
