Commissioners to hear from clerk about voter rolls

A conversation about election concerns at last week’s Yamhill County Board of Commissioners meeting led to a scheduled update on the process from County Clerk Keri Hinton at Thursday’s meeting.

During public comment last week, resident Steve Howard requested larger and higher definition screens to review the vote counting process and raised concerns about ineligible voters after it was revealed a Department of Motor Vehicles program improperly registered approximately 1,500 voters.

Last week, Gov. Tina Kotek paused the Oregon Motor Voter program (which automatically registers voters) and ordered an immediate audit after 1,259 voters were incorrectly deemed U.S. citizens, likely by employee error, according to the DMV.

“The 1,259 errors previously transmitted to the (Secretary of State) primarily occurred when staff inadvertently chose the wrong document from a drop-down menu in the new system, choosing a document that would prove U.S. citizenship when that was not accurate,” an after action report from the DMV states. “Data analysis showed the vast majority of those errors were caused by an employee incorrectly selecting a U.S. passport, although other documents carried some margin for error as well.”

Following the report, another 300 incorrectly approved voters were identified.

Both Howard and the commissioners lauded the work of Hinton locally, before Commissioners Mary Starrett recommended bringing Hinton in for an update on the process at this week’s meeting.

Starrett said Hinton reached out to the board immediately once the irregularities at the state level were identified and came up with a count of ineligible voters in the county.

“It’s a really good reflection on our clerk, Keri Hinton, for not only being one step ahead but also getting this information out to us,” Starrett said.

Commissioner Lindsay Berschauer said she is monitoring the situation but has distanced herself as the clerk’s liaison because she is up for re-election in November.

“I know that the county clerks across the whole state have been meeting constantly to try and triage what’s been happening and figure out what’s on our rolls,” she said.

Howard said his request for larger screens would be for the next election and emphasized it’s intended to provide more transparency, not accuse Hinton of wrongdoing.

“I have heard from electors who are very concerned ... and I would like to make sure that our county clerk is not being accused of not being transparent with the elections,” he said. “She’s doing the best she can with what she has.”

Hinton is scheduled to address the board with an update on Thursday. Also at that meeting, the board will receive an update from County Assessor Derrick Wharf.

Last week, the board approved a $5,000 loan application to partially reimburse the county for a body scanner recently installed at the Youth Services Center as its only action item.

The $181,500 scanner is designed to prevent drugs and weapons from entering the center while removing most physical pat downs that can be triggering to trauma victims, according to a letter from county staff.

Looking ahead to the commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, the board will vote on a number of administrative contracts.

They will meet 10 a.m. in room 32 of the Yamhill County Courthouse, 535 N.E. Fifth St. The public may attend in person or by Zoom or watch the meeting live-streamed on YouTube. The Zoom link is embedded in the agenda online; the agenda, meeting packet and links to YouTube and an audio recording are located on the county’s meetings webpage at co.yamhill.or.us/meetings.