How to Vote in Oregon’s 2024 Elections
Important dates and election information
- Deadline to register to vote: Tuesday, Oct. 15
- Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 15
- First day vote-by-mail ballots are sent to voters: Wednesday, Oct. 16
- Last day vote-by-mail ballots are sent to voters: Tuesday, Oct. 22
- Deadline to return a vote-by-mail or absentee ballot: Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5
Voting at a glance
- Voter registration: Check your registration status using the secretary of state’s My Vote portal.
- Vote-by-mail ballots: Oregon holds universal vote-by-mail elections. All active registered voters will receive a mail ballot two to three weeks before an election.
- Absentee ballots: If you’ll be out of town during the election, you can request an absentee ballot, as long as you’re registered to vote.
- In-person voting: You can take your vote-by-mail ballot to your county elections office and fill it out there on or before Election Day.
- Election Day: All ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 5, or returned in person to an official drop box by 8 p.m.
Recent voting changes in Oregon
A 2022 rule allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they’re received within seven days of the election.
How to register to vote
As of 2016, voters are automatically registered to vote when they visit the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division (DMV) to apply for, renew or replace an Oregon driver’s license, ID card or permit. You’ll receive a card in the mail that allows you to choose a party affiliation or decline registration.
You can also register:
- Online: Use the state’s My Vote portal to register or update your registration status.
- By mail: Print a voter registration form, complete it, and mail or deliver it to your county elections office. Or, pick up a voter registration card at a post office, library or county elections office, and return it by mail. You can also ask your county elections office or the Oregon Elections Division to mail a card to you.
- In person: Go to your county elections office to fill out a registration form or register at certain state agencies and other offices, like a DMV office or the Oregon Department of Human Services.
When registering online, you must provide an Oregon driver’s license, permit or state ID number. When registering by mail or in person, you must provide an Oregon driver’s license, ID or permit number, the last four digits of your Social Security number, or another acceptable form of ID.
The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 15, by 11:59 p.m., for online registrations, and by close of business for in-person registrations. Registrations returned by mail must be postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Registering to vote on Election Day
Oregon does not allow registration on Election Day.
Check your voter registration status
Check your registration status using the secretary of state’s My Vote portal.
How Oregon’s vote-by-mail works
Oregon holds universal vote-by-mail elections. Active registered voters will receive a mail ballot two to three weeks before the general election. Sign and return your completed ballot:
- By mail: Send your ballot to your county elections office. Prepaid postage is provided. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day.
- In person: Return your ballot at an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Track your ballot by using Oregon’s My Vote portal. Some counties offer ballot tracking via text, phone or email. Contact your county elections office to learn more.
How to vote absentee (if out of town)
Absentee ballots are available in Oregon to people traveling out of town during an election period. You can apply:
- Online: Use the state’s My Vote portal to request an absentee ballot and update your mailing address. The deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 15, by 11:59 p.m.
- By mail: Fill out an absentee ballot request form and mail or hand-deliver it to your county elections office. Applications must be postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Once you receive your absentee ballot, complete it and return it to your county elections office. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day. Postage is provided.
Voting in person before and on Election Day
Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, but you can fill out your vote-by-mail ballot in person at your county elections office during business hours. Private voting spaces will be available at all county elections offices as soon as ballots start being mailed out (Wednesday, Oct. 16) through 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voter ID requirements
You do not need to provide ID to vote by mail. Instead, sign your ballot envelope, pledging under penalty of law that you’re the voter identified on the ballot envelope. County election officials will compare your signed ballot envelope to your signature on file in Oregon’s voter registration system.
Voting with a disability
Any voter can request help registering to vote, marking a ballot or returning a ballot by calling their county elections office or the Oregon Votes toll-free information line at 866-673-8683 or TTY 800-735-2900. You may also receive help from a person of your choice, as long as that person is not your employer, an agent of the employer, a union officer or an agent of a union of which you’re a member.
Voters who need to use a screen reader or other assistive technology can use Oregon’s online ballot-marking tool. This option requires printing, signing and returning your ballot using the return envelope mailed by your county elections office approximately two weeks before an election.
For more information about voting with a disability, visit the secretary of state’s website.
Editor’s note: This guide was originally published Jan. 19, 2024, and updated with new information about voting in the 2024 elections.
Grace Dickinson is a writer for aarp.org who covers federal and state policy. She previously wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her work has also appeared on sites including HuffPost and Eater.
