Voters have until 8 p.m. tonight to return their ballot at an official drop box
(SALEM, OR) — Today is Election Day. Oregon state and federal elected leaders encouraged eligible Oregonians to cast their votes and reiterated that Oregon will have safe, accurate, and fair elections this year at a press conference this morning.
“Elections are decided by those who show up. I want 100% of eligible voters to participate in Oregon’s safe, accurate, and fair elections If you haven’t turned in your ballot yet, get it to a drop box or county elections office by 8 p.m.,” Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “This is an opportunity to help decide the direction of our state and our country. Your vote is your power. Use it.”
Ballots must be returned to a drop box before 8 p.m. tonight. Registered voters can locate the drop box nearest to their home by using the locator tool at OregonVotes.gov/Dropbox.
If a ballot is returned by mail, it must be postmarked by today and received by a county elections office within the 7-day post-election grace period.
As of 6:43 a.m., 1,505,694 Oregonians had already voted, a turnout rate of 48.3%.
To ensure that Oregon’s vote-by-mail elections remain free and fair, state and federal officials have been in regular communication with the Oregon State Police, Oregon National Guard, local law enforcement, and national election integrity organizations.
“The courts have stopped every one of Trump’s attempts to interfere in our elections,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said. “Oregonians are voting this year as they have for the past 25 years. We will keep working to make sure every eligible voter’s voice is heard.”
“Vote-by-mail has proven for more than three decades to be a reliable, safe, and convenient way for Oregonians to make their election choices,” Sen. Ron Wyden said. “And I have no doubt that vote-by-mail will continue to set the gold standard for elections because Oregonians will again be voting the same proven way as we have since the mid-1990s. Rest assured that I will remain vigilant against any – and I do mean any – scheme cooked up by Donald Trump and his stooges back in Washington, D.C. to disrupt a fair election in Oregon.”
One way the Oregon Secretary of State’s office worked to increase voter turnout this year is through the new Oregon Campus Voting Challenge. Twenty-four of Oregon’s colleges and universities are participating in the challenge with the collective goal of boosting nonpartisan civic engagement on their campuses, including through voting.
Portland State University was among the universities participating, which required them to create an action plan on how to connect with students and increase civic engagement.
“I am proud that PSU is a place for critical dialogue about some of the most pressing issues of our time, and I am proud that PSU is a place where we can all learn to be more civically engaged,” Portland State University President Ann Cudd said. “Here at Oregon’s Urban Research University, we care deeply about our students making their voices heard.”
Unofficial election results will be posted online tonight after 8 p.m. at results.oregonvotes.gov. Counties will also post their own results online.
All results are unofficial until the election is certified on December 10.
