How to vote in Oregon in 2020

(OCTOBER 3, 2020) November 3 is Election Day in the United States. Citizens will make many decisions in this election. They include choosing the president of the United States, the mayor of Portland, and special taxes in Oregon.

Registration

To vote in Oregon, you first need to register The deadline to register to vote this year is October 13, 2020. You can register to vote in state and local elections if you can answer yes to these three questions:

• • • Are you a resident of Oregon?

    • Are you a U.S. citizen?

    • Are you 16 years old? (If you are not yet 18 years of age, you will not receive a ballot until an election occurs on or after your 18th birthday.​​)

You can register online with the state or by contacting your county elections office. Some federal elections have additional identification requirements, such as a valid driver's license, state ID number, Social Security number, etc. You can get more details from oregonvotes.org or by calling 1-866-ORE VOTES.

Voting by mail

In Oregon, you can vote by mail. Vote by Mail was first tested in local elections in 1981. Since 1998, all Oregon elections have been Vote by Mail. According to Multnomah County's Voting in Oregon guide, this process has increased voter participation and reduced the cost of running an election.

A Voters’ Pamphlet is mailed to every household in Oregon about three weeks before the election. It includes information about the issues and the candidates. This gives you time to research the issues or candidates before voting. Separate from the Voter's Pamphlet, registered voters receive a ballot two to three weeks before an election.

After completing the ballot, you insert it into a security envelope and place it in the return envelope. You must sign the envelope in order for it to be counted. An elections official will compare the signature on your ballot return envelope with the signature on your voter registration card to verify your identity. The ballot return envelope can be mailed with a stamp or dropped off at any county elections office or official drop box​​ across the state.

Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.​​​​ Postmarks do not count! If your ballot arrives at the County Elections Office after 8 p.m. on Election Day, it will not be counted.

Voting in person

You can still vote in person in Oregon. Each county elections office provides privacy booths for voters who want to vote in person or voters who need assistance.

More information

For more information about voting in Oregon, visit https://sos.oregon.gov/voting-elections/Pages/default.aspx