The deadline to register to vote in Oregon is Tuesday, October 18th. Oregonians can register either in person, online before midnight or via the mail, which must be postmarked for Tuesday.
Oregon is one of eight states where elections are conducted entirely by mail. Ballots will start going out on Wednesday.
Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said for people experiencing homelessness, they can register anywhere with an address.
“They could use, for example, the local elections office,” said Fagan. “They could use any different address that can receive mail as their residence for purposes as voting, as long as they’re an Oregon resident and otherwise eligible to vote.”
A recent New York Times analysis ranked Oregon the easiest place in the country to vote. Ballots must be in a dropbox by 8 p.m. or postmarked for November 8.
Oregon has been a vote-by-mail state for more than two decades. But Fagan noted that voting in person is an option.
That can be helpful, for instance, if someone with disabilities needs accommodations or if that’s simply how a person feels most comfortable casting their ballots.
“Every single county elections office, no matter how small the county, is required to have in-person voting booths,” said Fagan. “If somebody prefers to vote in person, that’s always an option for Oregonians.”
Fagan said false information about the election is the top concern of her office and also the biggest threat to elections nationwide. However, she noted that voter fraud is exceedingly rare.
Still, Fagan said people have resources if they hear or see something online that seems fishy.
“Make sure that you’re checking that with trusted election sources,” said Fagan, “because unfortunately there are people across the country profiting and making money off of spreading conspiracy theories and big lies.”
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
