Voting in Oregon: What you need to know
States around the country are looking to Oregon for safe and effective voting practices, and it’s easy to see why.
Voting in Oregon is easy, but only if your voter registration is up-to-date.
Here’s all you need to make your voice heard!
Here are a few handy links, FAQs, and useful sources about voting in Oregon.
Do I need a stamp to vote? A ballot box? Or to leave my home?
Nope! Your ballot will arrive to you by mail about three weeks before Election Day. Your ballot will have a prepaid postage stamp on it, so you can return your ballot with your outgoing mail at home.
And your ballot will be counted as long as it’s postmarked on or before Election Day!
Worried about mail carrier pick-up times at your local mailbox on Election Day? Here’s a link to finding ballot boxes near you.
I have a criminal conviction. Can I vote?
Generally, yes! U.S. citizens are generally free to cast a ballot in Oregon as long as they are an Oregon resident and at least 18 years old by Election Day.
This includes: people who have been released from prison after being incarcerated for a felony and/or a misdemeanor, are currently in jail on a misdemeanor conviction, are on post-prison supervision or parole, or are on probation.
Those who cannot cast ballots include folks currently in prison for a felony conviction, sentenced to prison but not yet incarcerated, on work release, or court-mandated to live in a halfway house.
For personal safety reasons, I don’t want to disclose my home address. Can I still vote?
Absolutely! Just complete this application, and return it to your county election office.
I am experiencing homelessness and don’t have a permanent address. Can I still receive a ballot?
Yes! As long as you can describe your location, you can vote. You can even specify a different mailing address for your ballot.
How do I vote in Oregon if my home has been destroyed or I am displaced due to wildfires?
You have several options of how to receive your ballot, including having it mailed to a temporary address or picking it up at the post office that serves your home address. More information is available from this official page from the Oregon Secretary of State.
Have a question that’s not answered here?
For more on voter eligibility in Oregon visit this Secretary of State’s page. More information about voting with felony convictions can be found here, or check out the Secretary of State’s Election Law Summary (page 36 has some especially useful info).
There’s also more here about voter confidentiality available at this Secretary of State’s webpage.