Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Patterson Renews Call for DMV Audit After 'Motor Voter' Snafu
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 7 years ago on
September 6, 2018

Share

Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno again called for an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles after it was revealed Wednesday that agency technicians may have botched about 23,000 Californians’ voter registrations under the state’s new “motor voter” law.
The DMV sent the secretary of state’s office incorrect information for some voters, according to a letter DMV Director Jean Shiomoto and Department of Technology Director Amy Tong sent Secretary of State Alex Padilla. The department says the errors mostly affected customers’ vote-by-mail, language, and political party selections.
The agency says it will send letters to affected voters so they can correct their information. The affected voters are scattered around the state, officials said.
The error did not allow anyone living in the country without authorization to register to vote, DMV officials said.
Patterson, a DMV critic, took to Twitter to voice his frustration with the agency. He used the hashtag #AuditTheDMV on the tweet.


“I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. Something is being covered up that must be found, disclosed and fixed,” Patterson, a Republican, told GV Wire in a statement.

Padilla ‘Disappointed and Deeply Frustrated’

Last month, the Legislature’s joint committee on audits declined to move forward with Patterson’s request to audit the DMV. Patterson cited hours-long wait times experienced by motorists at DMV offices throughout the state and agency mismanagement in asking for the audit.
Meanwhile, Padilla pulled no punches after learning about the botched voter registrations.
“I am extremely disappointed and deeply frustrated that DMV’s administrative error caused inaccurate voter registration data to be transmitted to elections officials,” Padilla said in a statement. “The DMV has assured us that they have taken necessary actions to prevent this from occurring again.”

Motor Voter Law Took Effect in April

California’s motor voter law letting residents automatically register to vote took effect in April. People registered or updated their voter registration about 1.4 million times through Aug. 5, the department said.
The news comes as the DMV faces backlash for long waits at some of its offices that spurred public outcry and prompted hearings last month in the state Legislature.
Wait times improved by an average of 30 minutes statewide between July and August, the agency reported to lawmakers Wednesday.
DMV officials say they have hired more staff and brought back retired workers to speed up transactions. They blamed new technology, the new motor voter law and federal security standards known as Real ID for the delays.

DMV Average Wait Without Reservation Is 100 Minutes

Shiomoto called the wait times unacceptable when testifying at the hearings. She vowed to fix the problem.
The agency says customers without an appointment spent an average of 100 minutes waiting during the week ending Aug. 25.
Wait times vary significantly, from a low of three minutes for customers with an appointment in Napa or Fall River Mills to a high of 158 minutes for walk-ins in West Covina.

Assemblywoman Disputes DMV Numbers

Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, a Republican from the San Francisco Bay Area, says reports she’s heard from her constituents and staffers who have visited DMV offices in her district don’t align with the rosier picture painted by the agency.
Example of a California Real ID card
“I have zero confidence in the numbers we’re receiving from the DMV,” she said. “It was apparent in not one but two hearings they had no reliable way to assess the scope of their own wait-time problem.”
The Real ID standards were passed in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks and require new ID cards to carry special markings.
After Oct. 1, 2020, airport security checkpoints won’t accept non-compliant cards. Californians must apply for new cards in person at DMV offices.
Lawmakers have given the DMV millions of dollars in additional funding to accommodate higher demand as Californians update their licenses to comply with the security requirement.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Sunnyvale Pitmaster Smokes Fresno BBQ Competition for Golden Ticket to World Championships

DON'T MISS

What We Know About the Colorado Attack on Israeli Hostage Demonstrators

DON'T MISS

Visalia Motorists Take Note: Traffic Shift Coming to Riggin Avenue

DON'T MISS

Really, Secretary Rubio? I’m Lying About the Kids Dying Under Trump?

DON'T MISS

Judge Denies Release in Caleb Quick Killing. Defense Cites Alleged Assaults by Victim

DON'T MISS

Nebraska Is the Latest State to Ban Transgender Students From Girls’ Sports

DON'T MISS

US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding an Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

International Basketball Comes to Fresno: Armenia vs. Costa Rica

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: A New Research Hub in Southeast Fresno?

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s Southeast Plan Has a $2.2B Price Tag for Phase 1. Can the City Afford It?

UP NEXT

What We Know About the Colorado Attack on Israeli Hostage Demonstrators

UP NEXT

Really, Secretary Rubio? I’m Lying About the Kids Dying Under Trump?

UP NEXT

Judge Denies Release in Caleb Quick Killing. Defense Cites Alleged Assaults by Victim

UP NEXT

Nebraska Is the Latest State to Ban Transgender Students From Girls’ Sports

UP NEXT

US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding an Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

UP NEXT

International Basketball Comes to Fresno: Armenia vs. Costa Rica

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: A New Research Hub in Southeast Fresno?

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Southeast Plan Has a $2.2B Price Tag for Phase 1. Can the City Afford It?

UP NEXT

Trump: Putin Said Russia Would Respond to Ukraine Drone Attacks

UP NEXT

It’s Expensive to Become a Teacher in California. This Bill Would Pay Those Who Try

Visalia Motorists Take Note: Traffic Shift Coming to Riggin Avenue

4 hours ago

Really, Secretary Rubio? I’m Lying About the Kids Dying Under Trump?

4 hours ago

Judge Denies Release in Caleb Quick Killing. Defense Cites Alleged Assaults by Victim

4 hours ago

Nebraska Is the Latest State to Ban Transgender Students From Girls’ Sports

4 hours ago

US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding an Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

4 hours ago

International Basketball Comes to Fresno: Armenia vs. Costa Rica

6 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: A New Research Hub in Southeast Fresno?

7 hours ago

Fresno’s Southeast Plan Has a $2.2B Price Tag for Phase 1. Can the City Afford It?

8 hours ago

Trump: Putin Said Russia Would Respond to Ukraine Drone Attacks

8 hours ago

It’s Expensive to Become a Teacher in California. This Bill Would Pay Those Who Try

8 hours ago

Trump Signs Proclamation Banning Travel From 12 Countries, CBS News Reports

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation banning travel from certain countries, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing administrati...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Trump Signs Proclamation Banning Travel From 12 Countries, CBS News Reports

2 hours ago

Sunnyvale Pitmaster Smokes Fresno BBQ Competition for Golden Ticket to World Championships

3 hours ago

What We Know About the Colorado Attack on Israeli Hostage Demonstrators

4 hours ago

Visalia Motorists Take Note: Traffic Shift Coming to Riggin Avenue

4 hours ago

Really, Secretary Rubio? I’m Lying About the Kids Dying Under Trump?

Fresno clovis caleb quick
4 hours ago

Judge Denies Release in Caleb Quick Killing. Defense Cites Alleged Assaults by Victim

4 hours ago

Nebraska Is the Latest State to Ban Transgender Students From Girls’ Sports

4 hours ago

US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding an Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend