It’s time to vote — help decide the election. There are two ways to cast your ballot today:
- You can still mail it in if you’re sure it will be postmarked today.
- You can find a drop box. Look here for Clackamas, Washington, or Multnomah Counties. The deadline is 8 p.m. today for a drop box.
For anyone who is holding out because of indecision, the official Voters’ Pamphlet always has surprising and helpful details. Crack open the book (that went out to you via mail). Or check it out online. Clackamas, Washington, and Multnomah Counties have their own official pamphlets for local races.
When Will We Know Election Results?
This year, Oregon extended the deadline for voting, in one key way. Any ballot postmarked by Election Day will count. (Previously, ballots had to be received by an election office on time.)
Reader William Stephan Vertal wrote in with this question: “How is the decision made as to when to stop counting ballots?”
The answer: the new cutoff is 7 days later. Ballots have to arrive by a week after Election Day to be counted.
For added context, it’s helpful to know that media outlets are usually able to project a winner on Election Night because enough ballots are in and counted that there is no or little chance that the results will change. (What’s reported is not official results.) But with the change to the postmark rule, that might delay results.
“It could make it more difficult for the media to project a winner in some close races because it will take longer for elections officials to count every ballot,” says Secretary of State spokesman Ben Morris.
And in the May primary, about 7.5% of ballots in Multnomah County didn’t come in until after Election Day, according to a tally by pollster John Horvick. It’s not clear if that pattern will hold. Stay tuned.
