What to do with Your Oregon Ballot

What to do with Your Oregon Ballot

Approximately two to three weeks before an election, you will get your ballot in the mail. You can return your ballot by mail or find a drop box on Oregon's site. Voters also receive an official ballot to complete and insert into the security envelope, which is placed in the ballot return envelope and signed by the voter.

  • Plan to send your ballot in the mail?
    • The ballot return envelope can be stamped and mailed or dropped off at any official drop box​​ across the state.
    • Tuesday, October 27, 2020, is the last day ballots can be mailed. Postage is already paid for on the provided envelope!
  • Plan to put your ballot in a drop box?
    • After Oct. 27, ballots must be put into a drop box. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.​​​​​​​​ Find a drop box location on Oregon's SOS site
    • Drop off your ballot in an unofficial dropbox on campus! Emily Hebbron has offered to drop off ballots for people and has created an unofficial drop box! Drop off your ballot in her office in Vollum 114 from 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday, November 3rd (election day)!

Oregon laws protect your right to vote

Those laws make it a crime to:
  • use or threaten force, violence, or restraint in order to make a person refrain from voting. ORS 260.665.
  • obstruct a place designated for ballot drop-off. ORS 260.695(3).
  • engage in unlawful paramilitary activity. ORS 166.660.
  • remove a ballot from a place designated for ballot drop-off. ORS 260.695(10).
  • Oregon law also allows members of the public to observe some ballot handling processes, including signature verification and counting. For more information, contact your county elections office.
Questions or Concerns? Here are helpful resources:
  • Voters can visit the Secretary of State’s website, OregonVotes.gov, for information about registration status, ballot tracking, and where ballots can be dropped off, or can reach the Elections Division at 866-673-8683.
  • Voters who have non-emergency questions or concerns should call the Attorney General’s Voter Protection Hotline at 971-673-4111.
  • Voters who experience bias based on their protected class, including race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or national origin can contact the Attorney General’s Bias Response Hotline at 844-924-2427, StandAgainstHate.Oregon.gov.
  • If you are in immediate danger, dial 911.
For more information on voting in Oregon, visit www.OregonVotes.gov.

Qualifications to Register to Vote in Oregon

The last day to register for the 2020 election was October 13th.

To register to vote in Oregon, you must be:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • A resident of Oregon
  • At least 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.​​

What You Will Need

You must provide your valid Oregon Driver's License, Permit, or ID number. A suspended Driver's License is valid, a revoked Driver's License is not valid. 

If you do not have a valid Oregon ID, provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. 

If you do not have a valid Oregon ID or Social Security number, provide a copy of one of the following that shows your name and current address. 

  • acceptable identification 
  • valid photo identification 
  • a paycheck stub or a utility bill 
  • a bank statement 
  • a government document 
  • proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEH).

Important Dates

  • Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
  • The deadline to register to vote...
    • online is Tuesday, October 13, 2020
    • by mail is (postmarked by) Tuesday, October 13, 2020
    • in-person is Tuesday, October 13, 2020
  • Oregon's early voting is by mail. Ballot drop box sites are open 18-20 days before Election Day, depending on your area. Wednesday, October 28, 2020, is the last day ballots can be mailed. After this date, ballots must be put into a dropbox.
  • If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, it is best to contact your local election official at least one month before the election so you have time to receive the ballot. You can update your voter registration information until 8 p.m. on Election Day and still cast a ballot. For more information and to do this online, go here. However, if your registration is updated close to an election, your ballot might have to be issued at the county elections office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Please note that updating your information will likely take a few days.
Source: Oregon SOS

FAQ Voting in Oregon

  • How does voting in Oregon work? 
    • Oregon is all vote-by-mail. Therefore, you can register at your Reed mailbox and receive your ballot in the mail for the next four years at Reed, regardless of where or whether you live on or off campus. If you live off-campus, you can also get your ballot mailed to your house or apartment. However, if you are registered with your Reed address and your mail stop number changes, you will have to re-register to vote or change your address. Also, the Office for Student Engagement is providing FREE stamps and envelopes for all voting purposes in the mail room!
  • I want to register to vote with my Reed address; how do I correctly write the address out on the form?
    • 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd MS # Portland, OR 97202. You do not put your dorm or your room number, only your mail stop.
  • Do I have to register to vote with a party? 
    • Oregon has a closed primary system. That means that in order to vote in a party primary to choose who runs in the general election for governor, president, etc., you need to be registered with that party. You can vote in the primary regardless, but if you are not registered with a party, it will be for nonpartisan offices like judges. So, feel free to register without a party, but know that you will have fewer options on your primary ballot. Your party affiliation does not matter for the general election; everyone gets the same ballot. Please note that if you don't want to register to vote with any specific party, choose "non-affiliated."
  • Do I live in a state with laws that might encourage or discourage me from voting in Oregon? 
    • If you plan to go to school in your home state and hope to pay in-state tuition, especially in California, stay registered in your home state. Also, Alaska residents who enjoy oil stipends need to stay registered there if they wish to continue to do so. If you receive grant money from the state of Pennsylvania, you should stay registered there. Thus, it may be worth considering registering to vote in Oregon if you want to vote in the 2020 election.
  • Should I register to vote in Oregon online or by mail?
    • If you have a valid Oregon Driver's License, Permit, or ID number, or have a social security number, it is super easy and hassle-free to register to vote online. However, you can also send in your registration form in the mail! If you don't have an Oregon-issued ID, it is simpler if you send in your registration form with the documented proof of your Oregon address in the mail since you can only send proof of residence by mail. Sending your voter registration form with your proof of address in the same envelope reduces the probability of any problems.