Over 1.1 Million Oregon Ballots Already Submitted Before Election Day
One voter expressed his primary concern about government overreach and stated that he voted for the ‘guy who’s against that.’
Over 1.1 million Oregon voters had already submitted their ballots before Election Day.
As of Nov. 4, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office reported that over 46 percent of the state’s more than 3 million registered voters had returned their ballots.
These numbers include 56.1 percent of the state’s 1 million registered Democrats, 60.6 percent of the almost 743,000 registered Republicans, and 28.4 percent from 1.1 million nonaffiliated voters.
Election officials were expecting a high voter turnout.
In the 2020 general election, over 2.3 million ballots were cast in Oregon, resulting in a final turnout of 78.5 percent in the vote-by-mail state.
In addition to voting for president, Oregonians are also casting their votes in three congressional races that could impact control of the U.S. House, as well as three statewide executive offices—secretary of state, treasurer, and attorney general.
Voters will also vote on statewide ballot measures regarding impeachment of statewide officials, elected official salaries, ranked-choice voting, universal basic income, and cannabis workers unionization.
Voters’ Concerns
Voters shared their thoughts on the election with The Epoch Times as they dropped their ballots in boxes and mailboxes across the state.
Tom Tullis, a 61-year-old contractor living in the state’s 5th Congressional District, found the ranked-choice voting ballot measure confusing and feared it might discourage voter participation due to the complexity of selecting multiple candidates.
He opposed the Trump ticket, stating that the former president aimed to suppress rival news sources and prosecute journalists who refuse to reveal their sources.
Luke Chauran, a 45-year-old machinist and part-time musician from Oregon’s 4th CD, expressed his main concern about government overreach and revealed that he voted for the “guy who’s against that.”
Chauran criticized the government as “bloated and irresponsible” and called for a halt to the wasteful spending and expansion of its power. He distrusted the Democratic Party, accusing them of lying consistently for over a decade.
He mentioned voting “no” on all ballot measures and “yes” for former President Trump.
Elementary school teacher and third-generation tree farmer Melinda Montgomery strongly opposed Oregon’s ballot measure 118, the universal basic income proposal, believing it would harm small businesses, the backbone of the economy, and push many into poverty.
She elaborated on how the measure would result in multiple taxes on products like timber, emphasizing the negative impact it could have on Oregon’s economy.
Waiting for Results
Ballots must be postmarked or dropped off at an official ballot drop by 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday.
The Oregon secretary of state will release initial results shortly after, but the official election results won’t be certified until Dec. 2, following post-election audits in all 36 Oregon counties.
The “postmark rule” in Oregon, enacted in 2022, could potentially delay results, especially in tight races.
According to Lane County election clerk Dena Dawson, this rule allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive within a week after the election.
Despite wider margins in some races, all ballots must be tallied before final results are determined, as per Dawson.