LANE COUNTY VOTERS: RETURN YOUR BALLOTS EARLY

News Release from Lane Co. Government

Posted on FlashAlert: May 9th, 2022 8:30 AM

Voters are urged to return their ballots as early as possible to ensure their vote is counted.

In order to be counted, ballots must be returned to Lane County Elections by:

• Mail – Voters must mail their ballots with enough time for processing and postmarking by the post office. Ballots must be postmarked no later than May 17, 2022.
• Official Drop Boxes – There are 21 official drop boxes located throughout Lane County – including a new location in North Springfield – that will be available to voters until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day (May 17).

“Returning your ballot in an official Lane County Elections drop box remains the quickest and most secure way to turn your ballot in,” said Lane County Clerk Cheryl Betschart. “If you choose to mail your ballot, please get it to the post office well before the May 17 deadline to make sure it’s postmarked in time. Voters who wait until the last minute on Election Day to find a USPS mail box might not have their ballot postmarked by the deadline.”

There are other benefits to returning ballots early:

• The Elections Office has time to work with voters who forgot to sign the return envelope or whose signatures do not match their voter registration record.
• Ballots can be prepared for processing and counting on Election Day so that early results can be shared more quickly after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day and those results can be as complete as possible. (The election will be officially certified on June 6.)
• Voters don’t have to worry about whether their ballot will be postmarked in time and can rest easier knowing their vote will be counted.

As a reminder, voters in Lane County no longer receive a secrecy sleeve with their ballot. Your vote is still private. The return envelope is separated from the ballot before processing so that your name cannot be associated with how you voted. Eliminating the secrecy sleeve helps reduce paper waste and makes it faster to process ballots.

Assistance is available over the phone at 541-682-4234 (weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and via email at [email protected].