You have just over a week left to cast your ballot in this year’s midterm election. A few weeks ago, we asked KLCC listeners to submit questions about the election process. KLCC’s Love Cross sat down with KLCC News Director, Chris Lehman, to get some answer.
Love Cross: So, first things first. By now, every registered Oregon voter should have received their ballot in the mail. And that leads us to our first listener question.
Chris Lehman: Yeah, and the question is: “If I don’t receive a ballot and I’m a registered voter, where should I go or who should I call?”
Cross: An important question, because if you don’t have a ballot, you can’t vote. So what should you do if you don’t get a ballot?
Lehman: The answer to this is pretty easy, though it does require action on your part. Basically, you need to contact your county elections office. You should be able to find contact information for your county’s office with a simple web search.
Now you might wonder, what happens if I get a replacement ballot and then the original ballot shows up? Well, each ballot has a unique bar code, and elections officials say once a new ballot has been issued, the barcode on the original ballot is de-activated. So if you’re among the relatively small number of voters who need a replacement ballot, it’s important that you ultimately vote with the most recently-issued ballot.
Cross: Our next question also has to do with ballot delivery, but this time it’s about what happens after you put your ballot in the mail to send it in to be counted.
Lehman: Yeah, and the gist of the question is, how can Oregon voters be sure that the postal service will actually deliver their ballot to the elections office?
Cross: There’s a certain amount of faith that goes along with putting anything in the mail, but when it’s something as important as exercising your constitutional right to vote, it’s easy to see why some reassurance might be necessary.
Lehman: Yes, and first of all, we can acknowledge the context here. This isn’t just a case of grumbling about the mail. That’s a time-honored tradition, I think, in this country. It comes at a time when high-ranking officials, including the president, have cast doubts on mail-in voting.
Now, the US Postal Service says it’s business as usual when it comes to election-related mail this year. That means…in theory…you should be able to drop your ballot in the mail all the way up to election day and still have it counted. Of course, the postal service no longer guarantees a same-day postmark…so waiting that long might not be a good idea.
In fact, IF you’re mailing it in, state elections officials in Oregon AND the postal service recommend getting your ballot in the mail a full week before election day.
Cross: And regardless of whether you mail in your ballot, or use a drop box, there is a way to ensure your ballot was received, right?
Lehman: That’s right, the state is now offering a service called “BallotTrax.” It’s free and just take a minute to sign up. And you can get an email, text, or phone call when your ballot has been received and processed by your county elections officials.
Cross: Our next question has to do with the anxiety over potential federal government disruptions. Specifically, a listener asked “If ICE or another government entity is present at a ballot drop box, do I have to show anyone anything? Driver’s license, passport, precinct card?”
What do you think, Chris?
Lehman: For this, I reached out to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office and posed this scenario to them. And here’s what they said:
“It is illegal for the federal government to deploy or order armed federal agents to polling locations, including ballot drop boxes. Voters should immediately contact their county elections office and the Secretary of State’s office if anyone demands to see identification at a ballot drop box.”
Cross: And we got another question that’s sort of related to that one. Basically, a listener wanted to know if they are unable to vote because individuals at a drop box are attempting to intimidate them, where should they go or who should they call?
Lehman: Again, elections officials say call your county elections office if this happens. Like, if you drive up to a drive-thru ballot box and there’s somebody deliberately blocking it, trying to influence your ability, or disrupt your ability to cast your vote, again, call the county elections office as soon as you can.
But, in practical terms, the Secretary of State’s office told me that if that happens to you, if you see something at a drop box that makes you uncomfortable, that disrupts your ability to return your ballot, you can just come back at a different time, or you can go to a different drop box, or you can deliver your ballot directly to the county elections office. Or, if you have time, you can always put your ballot in the mail. It doesn’t even require a stamp.
Now, doing some of those things is easier if you’re in a larger community, where you might have more drop box options. But if you live in a place like Oakridge or Florence, you might only have one drop box in town. So it’s a little more complicated that way. But either way, it’s an argument for getting your ballot in on the early side.
Cross: Great advice. Thanks, Chris. Of course, you can find KLCC’s election coverage at our website, klcc.org.
