In a year when vote by mail is expected to play a huge role in elections nationwide, Oregon officials have said the state is extremely well prepared.
Related: OPB’s 2020 election coverage, ballot guide and results
After all, Oregon is a pioneer, the first state in the nation to distribute all of its ballots by mail. We’ve been improving that system for the last 20 years, and it’s very popular.
But that doesn’t mean there can’t be problems. Already this year, we’ve seen top state officials sending distinctly different messages about what tumult in the U.S. Postal Service might mean for the November election. The COVID-19 pandemic has also spurred changes to drop box locations in some counties, and Oregon’s unprecedented wildfires mean voters who’ve lost their home might have to take additional steps to ensure they receive a ballot.
To help ensure we’re on top of any problems voters encounter, OPB is partnering with ProPublica’s Electionland project. Electionland has created a tipline to track ballot and voting issues around the country. It will share any problems it hears from voters in Oregon and Southwest Washington with OPB, to help inform our election coverage.
Problems we’re looking for could include ballot delivery issues, voter intimidation, changed drop box locations, purged voter roles or voter registration errors.
Ballots in Oregon start going out Oct. 14. Here’s how you can help.
- SMS: Text the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 81380 (standard text message rates apply).
- WhatsApp: Send the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 1-850-909-8683.
- Facebook Messenger: Go to m.me/electionland.
- Or complete the following form to share your election experience with us.
