Oregon Voter Turnout Slightly Higher One Week Before Election Day

Early Turnout Outpaces 2022 Midterms as Oregon Voters Return 23 Percent of Ballots

With a week to go before Election Day, Oregon voters have returned about 23% of eligible ballots, outpacing the participation rate recorded at this point during the 2022 midterms, according to data published Tuesday morning by the Secretary of State’s office. At this juncture four years ago, statewide returns hovered near 20% (received at this point).

The upward tick appears across multiple jurisdictions, led by the state’s most populous regions. In Clackamas County, nearly 24% of ballots are already in, compared to roughly 18% at the same point in 2022. Multnomah County reports a similar trend, with more than 17% of ballots received compared to more than 15% in the last election.

“I think these early numbers suggest that Oregonians are excited about making their voices heard,” said Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read. He added that elections represent “how we hold government accountable and politicians accountable. And I’m excited that Oregonians are embracing that opportunity.”

Drop Boxes Draw Higher Volume as Mail Deadlines Loom

State election officials are urging voters to pivot strategies depending on the calendar. Read noted that Tuesday marks the final day voters can safely drop their ballots into the U.S. Postal Service mail stream and remain confident of an on-time postmark, pointing residents toward secure drop locations (oregonvotes.gov/dropbox) for the remainder of the week.

Oregon Voter Turnout Slightly Higher One Week Before Election Day — Photo: opb.org

The push toward drop boxes coincides with recent administrative hurdles. Following federal efforts by the Trump administration to restrict mail-in voting, the secretary of state’s office proactively encouraged secure drop box usage. To meet demand, state election officials secured emergency funding from the Oregon Legislature to install new drop boxes across the state. As of Tuesday morning, 17 of the 20 promised new locations were operational. “We’re racing to get the last ones in in time,” Read told OPB.

Local election administration reflects that shift. Multnomah County Clerk Tim Scott noted Monday that traditional mail-in returns are tracking slightly behind past cycles, suggesting that a larger share of the electorate is utilizing drop sites instead. County election workers are dispatching crews to retrieve ballots from these drop locations continuously, Scott said, with the goal of providing voters quick confirmation that their votes have been logged.