Washington, DC– Yesterday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed an historic piece of legislation into law, creating an automatic voter registration system in the state. In support of this important day, DNC Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation Donna Brazile released the following statement:

“The law signed yesterday by Governor Brown represents a watershed moment in expanding access to the ballot box.  Through the use of technology and innovation, states now have the tools to make voter registration more cost effective, more secure and more convenient for voters. This is what Democrats mean when we say we are fighting to expand the vote.

“We applaud the people of Oregon for bringing up to 300,000 new voters into the electoral process.  Actions like these are a stark contrast to recent laws we’ve seen come out of Republican legislatures to restrict the right to vote through strict voter ID laws, shortened or eliminated early voting periods, or limiting polling locations.

“At the Democratic National Committee we are working to ensure that every eligible voter is registered, every registered voter is able to vote, and that every vote is accurately counted. Last year we implemented the National Voter Expansion Project. This year, DNC members unanimously voted to endorse a constitutional amendment explicitly guaranteeing the right to vote, and we’re working every day to protect and expand the right to vote.”