Oregon election officials urge early mail-in voting

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is advising voters to mail their ballots by October 27 or use official drop boxes for the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. This recommendation follows a mail delivery experiment conducted by the Secretary of State, 36 county clerks, and election officials to test U.S. Postal Service (USPS) performance.

The study, which tracked 108 pieces of mail across all 36 Oregon counties, revealed significant discrepancies in delivery times, particularly in rural and eastern regions. While all tested items were postmarked in time to be valid, some deliveries took as long as 11 days. Officials attributed these delays to budget cuts and the loss of night pickups at various rural post offices.

Under Oregon law, ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted if they arrive within one week. However, to ensure timely processing, officials recommend the October 27 deadline. The upcoming election includes a competitive gubernatorial race between incumbent Democrat Tina Kotek and Republican Christine Drazan, alongside various local and county-level contests.