If you're a lapsed voter in Oregon, don't be surprised if Dennis Richardson finds you on Facebook.

The secretary of state is tapping the social media site's extensive reach to persuade inactive voters to update their registration in time for the November election. Richardson appears on a video targeted only at the 447,000 names on the state's inactive voters list.

"We want to extend every opportunity for Oregonians who are eligible to vote to be able to vote," Richardson said in a news release Tuesday.

Oregon has 2.7 million registered voters, which does not include the inactive voters. Inactive voters do not receive ballots by mail because they did not vote or update their registration information for five years, according to the secretary of state's office.

The $5,000 pilot program started Tuesday and will run through Oct. 16, the registration deadline for the Nov. 6 ballot. Richardson's office also used Facebook to announce preliminary results for the Jan. 23 special election.

"Maximizing voter participation and access while ensuring election integrity has been one of my primary missions since day one," Richardson said. "Utilizing cutting-edge technologies to empower eligible voters isn't just something we can do — it's something we must do if we're serious about outreach."

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive