Half a million Oregonians have turned in their ballots week ahead of Nov. 3 election

More than half a million Oregon voters have returned their ballots as of Monday morning, about 16% of the state’s 3.1 million registered voters, according to unofficial ballot return data from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division. 

Voters statewide have just a week left to cast their ballots. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is urging voters to do so at one of the more than 300 drop boxes located across the state, though voters can still return their ballots through the mail so long as it’s sent out by Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Following Tuesday, Read recommends voters take their ballots to a dropbox instead of putting them in the mail, where U.S. Postal Service delays could slow ballot arrivals.

Voter turnout will play a key role in several competitive races, such as the gubernatorial race between incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and her Republican challenger Christine Drazan, a state senator from Canby, and in the state’s tightest legislative races in the North Coast, the Columbia River Gorge, Southern Oregon, Salem and Bend. 

Voter turnout is slightly outpacing previous years, particularly on the Democratic side, according to John Horvick, senior vice president and elections expert at Portland-based DHM Research.

About 46% of ballots cast as of Monday were cast by Democrats, more than 236,000. Republicans have cast about 30% of all ballots received so far, and nonaffiliated voters and voters registered with minor parties submitted the remaining 24% of ballots. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean this year will be a high turnout year for Democrats, Horvick said in a phone interview. 

It’s normal for Democrats to turn out earlier in elections, and it could be that Democrats are more concerned about possible mail delay warnings from state leaders, and in response turned in more ballots early. The mix of early ballots received will likely become more Republican as it gets closer to election day, Horvick said. 

Counties with the highest voter turnout as of Monday include Curry, Gilliam and Wheeler counties. Nearly a quarter of registered voters in Grant, Wallowa and Tillamook counties had already cast their ballots as of Monday.