Oregon Public Broadcasting

A conservative watchdog group says Washington State isn't doing enough to prevent underage teenagers from voting. The Evergreen Freedom Foundation sued the Secretary of State Wednesday, as correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

According to the lawsuit, more than 16,000 underage teens have registered to vote in Washington State since 2000.

17-year olds are allowed to register if they'll be eighteen before the next election. But the Evergreen Freedom Foundation says Washington State doesn't have enough safeguards in place.

Jonathan Bechtle is an attorney for the group. He says the lawsuit is designed to force more action from Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican up for re-election.

Jonathan Bechtle: "He's finally started to do a little bit to try to take underage voters who are on the voting roll off, to identify them and remove them. But has not done anything to prevent them from being added in the first place."

The Secretary of State's office responds that it has tightened its procedures -- and the lawsuit is trying to solve a problem that no longer exists.

A similar complaint by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation was dismissed back in August.