Software error sidelines DOL voter registrations

Washington State’s Department of Licensing announced Tuesday that a malfunction within the agency’s software system has prevented thousands of DOL customers who thought they had registered to vote from becoming registered.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, the state’s chief elections officer, issued this statement in response:

“We have worked very closely with the Department of Licensing to identify all of the affected voters. Thankfully, the vast majority of applicants not transmitted to us by DOL were already registered to vote or registered using another method, such as our online voter registration system, MyVote.

“Our office identified nearly 7,000 applicants who need to be added to the voter rolls and issued a ballot. We are working closely with county election officials to ensure that these voters receive their February ballot in time for next week’s election.

“We are also conducting additional analysis to ensure – for all individuals who choose to register through DOL from this point forward – that the data is transferred to us so those applicants can be registered to vote. Those tests will be ongoing and conducted on a daily basis.”