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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Security beefed up at national wildlife refuges in Oregon, California, Nevada ... Since You Asked: Why does the flag fly at half-staff? ... Medford standoff ends with man in custody ... Security beefed up at national wildlife refuges in Oregon, California, Nevada ... Since You Asked: Why does the flag fly at half-staff? ... Medford standoff ends with man in custody ... ELECTIONS Oregon on track to register drivers to vote starting Jan. 1 Comment By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 8:11 PM By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 8:11 PM » Social News SALEM — Oregonians who get their first driver's license or renew an existing one next year will automatically be registered to vote. Officials from the secretary of state's office said Monday that they're ready to begin implementing a law approved by the Legislature earlier this year. Beginning Jan. 1, people who are issued a driver's license, are U.S. citizens and are old enough to vote will receive a postcard in the mail that lets them choose to join a political party or opt out of registration. If they don't opt out within three weeks, they'll automatically join the voter rolls and will receive a ballot in the next election. "Oregon is once again a national leader in elections," said Jim Williams, the state elections director. "Just as we were the first state to make voting easier with vote by mail, now we're making voter registration easier as well." State officials estimate they'll process about 10,000 people per month, but say it's impossible to know how many will opt out. People who are already registered will see changes as well. If they move and change the address on their driver's license, their voter registration will automatically be updated. Officials are not yet ready to go back and register the roughly 275,000 people who have recently been issued a driver's license but aren't registered. That will be a separate project after the May primary, Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins said. State officials say they've gone to great lengths to ensure the data is secure when it's being transferred between the DMV, state election officials and county election offices. "We concentrated on that from the very beginning — data security, both in transit and at rest," said Shamus Hannan, who oversaw the development of the technical infrastructure. It will still be possible for voters to register through the existing methods, a paper or online application. Those methods would likely be faster, so they may be preferred by people getting a driver's license close to the registration deadline ahead of an election. By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Dec. 21, 2015 at 8:11 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501