May’s Primary Election approaches

Voting in person is still available at the County Administration Building

Voting in person is still available at the Election Office in the County Administration Building

STORIES THIS ISSUE:
Wildfire Protection Plan | Hood River County 101 | May’s Primary Election | County Campgrounds Opening | Emergency Manager Katie Skakel

The May 19th Primary Election in Hood River County will proceed as usual, despite two recent legal challenges at the federal level. Key dates, aside from Election Day, are important to note.

Currently, mail-in ballot rules remain unchanged, although a legal challenge led by Oregon, and 22 other states aims to counter an executive order from President Trump that could limit mail voting. Additionally, officials are monitoring a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding the acceptance of ballots postmarked by Election Day, which may impact Oregon's postmark rule established in 2022.

Under this rule, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days after. If overturned, the state will revert to the previous requirement of ballots being received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

“These legal challenges won’t affect the upcoming primary; however, they could have implications for future elections,” notes Hood River County Clerk Brian Beebe. “As a general guideline, we encourage voters to return their ballots early whenever possible.” Beebe says about half of total ballots are submitted in an election period’s final two days.

Oregon is a national leader in vote by mail procedures. In 2000, it became the first state in the nation to conduct all elections using mail-in ballots; however, election officials are increasingly encouraging voters to use drop boxes.

Primary Election important dates.

April 28th - Deadline to register to vote or to update your voter registration information (such as address, name, party affiliation) for the May 19th election.
New voters in Oregon can register online at oregonvotes.gov. Other options include mailing a voter registration form or registering in-person at the County Elections Office. If changing your name, please submit a paper form to create a new signature record.

April 29th - Local ballots mailed to voters.

May 14th - Last day for elections officials to send replacement ballots for original ballots lost or damaged.

May 19th - Election Day. Ballots must be dropped at official County Ballot Drop Sites by 8 pm. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by this date.

Call the Hood River County Elections Office at 541-386-1442 if:

you do not receive a ballot by May 5th
you make a mistake on your ballot
your ballot is damaged or destroyed
you lose your ballot
you have any other ballot or voting issues

Your vote matters to the Hood River County Elections Office. Always know you may reach out with questions or issues by emailing elections@hoodrivercounty.gov or calling 541-386-1442.

Mailing Ballots

USPS has recently updated its procedures regarding postmarks. Mail will now receive a postmark when it’s processed at a regional facility. This means outgoing mail typically does not get postmarked until one to three business days after it has been deposited in a local mailbox.

To ensure that your ballot is postmarked on or before Election Day, please mail it early. Alternatively, you can hand-deliver your ballot to the Post Office and request a manual postmark before mailing.

Official Ballot Drop Sites

The County Clerk recommends voters use official ballot drop boxes on Election Day. There are three drop sites in the County: Hood River, Cascade Locks, and Parkdale. Please drop off ballots by 8 pm on Election Day at one of these locations: