The following are some important facts about voting in Oregon. With the General election coming up in November, you will soon be hearing a lot about issues that will affect your life. Registering to vote in Oregon is a very simple and quick process, and now that Oregon has vote-by-mail, the whole process is even easier. Watch for the Voters Pamphlet in the mail, and make a difference by voting!

Who can register to vote?
You can register to vote if you are 18 years or older on election day, a U.S. Citizen and a resident of Oregon. You can register at any time. However, in order to vote in an election, you must register 21 days before the election. After receiving your completed registration form, the county elections office will mail you a Precinct Memorandum Card. This card shows your precinct number and the federal, state and local elections districts in which you live. October 17th is the last day to register to vote for the General Election.

How do I register?
You can register to vote in person at your county elections office or by mail with a voter registration card. These cards are available in telephone books, libraries, post offices, schools, banks, and at DMV offices. Frequently asked questions and answers are available here. A downloadable registration form is available which should be filled out and mailed in. You cannot register online.

What are the political parties I can choose from?
At this time, the political parties in Oregon are: Democrat, Libertarian, Pacific, Reform, and Republican. You may choose your party affiliation when you register to vote or you may choose not to be affiliated with any political party. The major political parties in Oregon are the Democratic and Republican parties. The other parties are minor political parties.

Once registered, do I need to update my voter registration information?
You can update your registration up to the day of the election. However you will have to do this in person. [Voter registration cannot be transferred from another state. To vote in Oregon, you must be registered in Oregon.] Reasons to update your registration would be name change or moving within the same county. Please contact your local county election office if you have any questions. Their names and addresses can be found here.

How do absentee ballots work?
Anyone registered to vote in Oregon may ask for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots are available by written request 45 days before an election. If you vote absentee, you must return the ballot to the county elections officer by 8:00 p.m. on election day. You can return the ballot by mail or hand-delivery.

How is a ballot measure created?
Ballot measures are created through the initiative process and the legislative process.

An initiative originates from the citizens. Citizens write a proposed law or constitutional amendment and present it to the people through an initiative petition. A certain percentage of voters must sign the petition endorsing the proposed law or amendment. When enough signatures have been obtained, the initiative then becomes a ballot measure and is voted on at the general election.

A referendum originates from the state legislature. This process allows voters to accept or reject a proposed new statute or constitutional amendment that was created and accepted by the Oregon Legislature.

Voters cast a yes or no vote for a ballot measure. If a measure receives a majority of yes votes, it become law or a constitutional amendment. A ballot measure can be proposed at the state, regional, county or local government level.

For more information on Oregon’s initiative process, click here: Direct Democracy: Initiatives and Referendums.

For more information on voting, see the following websites:

Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/elechp.htm

Project Vote Smart
http://www.vote-smart.org

Oregon Legislature
http://www.leg.state.or.us

League of Women Voters of Oregon
http://www.open.org/lwvor/

The Democracy Network
http://www.dnet.org

• Voting in Oregon
• Judicial Selection – Who’s to Judge?
• The Who, What and Why of Oregon Laws
• Who Represents Your Interests in Government?

For more information, visit the
OSB Public Affairs Pages