Two ballots are dropped off in Forest Grove. Photo: Chas Hundley
Ballot returns in Washington County as of 12 p.m. Friday, October 23 numbered 106,660, an amount representing about 27.7% of the total number of registered voters in the county, according to the Washington County elections office.
Statewide, the office of the Oregon Secretary of State updated totals at 9:13 a.m. to show that turnout in Oregon sits at 915,109 ballots returned out of the nearly 2.95 million eligible voters, for a total turnout of 31.1% thus far.
Broken down by the largest voting groups, Washington County has 148,577 eligible Democrats, of which 47,041 have voted so far for a total turnout of 31.66%; 129,197 non-affiliated voters, of which 17,935 have voted, for a turnout of 13.88%, 83,728 Republicans; of which 16,357 have voted for a turnout of 19.54%, and 16,913 Independents, of which 3,634 have voted for a turnout of 19.54%.
Southern Oregon’s Curry County is leading in voter turnout. Of the county’s 18,720 eligible voters, 7,926 have voted, for a turnout so far of 42.3%.
Those who have turned in a ballot and are seeking to find out if it has been received by the county elections department should visit Oregonvotes.gov to check the status of their ballot, though it can take between 48 and 72 hours from when a ballot is dropped off at a ballot box — perhaps longer for ballots mailed — to appear in the system.
With just eleven days remaining before Nov. 3, the final presidential debate wrapped up Thursday night, meaning both the campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden have entered the final phase of their campaign.
The recommended deadline to mail a completed ballot through the United States Postal Service is Tuesday, October 27, and all ballots mailed must be received before 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Oregon does not accept ballots that are received after that time.
After Oct. 27, ballots should be dropped off at one of the county’s 21 official ballot drop sites or delivered directly to the Washington County Elections office before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3.
More information and a history of the practice of voting by mail in Oregon can be read here.
The Washington County Elections office is located at 2925 NE Aloclek Drive, Suite 170, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7523.
Washington County’s 21 ballot drop sites will close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, with early results announced by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office shortly after.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.