That agency head, Ben Edtl, is a Tualatin-based political consultant who is also the chief petitioner for a 2026 ballot initiative that would end Oregon’s pioneering vote-by-mail system. Edtl, 47, is a rising player in the MAGA wing of the Oregon Republican Party.

Oregon’s program that automatically registers eligible citizens to vote is generally safe and effective, but remains susceptible to potential errors or faulty data handling, according to an external audit released this week.

After technical and clerical errors in Oregon’s automatic voter registration system led to a number of people being registered to vote — despite not showing proof of U.S. citizenship