In the final hours before voting officially ends Tuesday night, political parties are pushing last-minute “get out the vote” drives.
At the University of Oregon, a slate of Democratic candidates and officials fired up a modest but spirited crowd of roughly five dozen. Social distancing and face masks signaled COVID-19 awareness, but speakers like Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden were undeterred in their call.
“Get every ballot in, and count every ballot! Are you with us?” he asked as people applauded.
U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio also spoke to the crowd, largely made up of college students.
“Everybody…everybody’s got to get their ballot in," implored DeFazio. "If you know someone who hasn’t voted yet, get them to get their ballot in, you gotta drop it off. Drop it off today!”
Several students did just that during the event, slipping their confidential ballot envelopes into a nearby ballot drop-off box as others cheered.
Young voters are projected to vote in far larger numbers than in the 2016 and 2018 elections.
For their part, the Oregon GOP and supporters held several “get out the vote” rallies in Roseburg, Gresham, and Bandon over the weekend.
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