CALIFORNIA STATE TRANSPO AGENCY EDMUND 0- BROWN JR. Governor

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
P.O. BOX 932323

SACRAMENTO. CA 94232-3280

 

September 5, 2018

Honorable Alex Padilla
Secretary of State

1500 11th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Secretary of State Padilla:

The Department of Motor Vehicles and Department of Technology recently discovered an
administrative processing error in the DMV system that impacted some California Motor Voter data
transmitted to the California Secretary of State?s office. The Departments completed a comprehensive
review in order to prevent a reoccurrence of this error, and have implemented new and additional
safeguards in the Motor Voter registration system, including software updates and staff training.

Following an extensive audit of the 1.4 million customer records that were transmitted to the Secretary
of State?s office between April 23 and August 5, 2018, we have determined approximately 23,000
customers may have been affected by this error. These errors occurred through no fault of the customer
and were caused by DMV technicians who had more than one customer record open on their computer
screens at the same time and those records were inadvertently merged. As a result, inaccurate customer
information largely affecting voter preferences such as, vote-by-mail options, language and political
party selections was transmitted to the Secretary of State. Some of those 23,000 customers did not
complete an af?davit ofregistration to vote and their records were sent erroneously to the Secretary of
State. None of the impacted customers are undocumented immigrants who received a driver license
under AB 60.

We are committed to working collaboratively with your of?ce to implement a quick and ef?cient
resolution for impacted customers. Accordingly, during the next week, state of?cials will send
noti?cation to customers whose records contained errors so they can verify and correct that information
well before the October 22, 2018 voter registration deadline for the upcoming General Election.

We will provide any additional information and assistance needed.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

1:2?
JEAN SHIOMOTO AMY TONG
Director Chief Information OfficerfDirector
Department of Motor Vehicles Department of Technology

California Relay Telephone Service for the deaf?or hearing impaired from TDD Phones: 1-800-735-2929; from Voice Phones: 1?800-?35-2922

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