Voters need to drop off their ballots by Election Day or make sure they’re postmarked by Nov. 5. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Coos County election officials on Tuesday urged voters who haven’t yet received their ballot for the Nov. 5 election to call the county elections office or visit in person.
The county is experiencing delays caused by an “error” with the U.S. Postal Service that has kept ballots from reaching voters, Coos County Clerk Julie Brecke said in a statement.
“My office has been inundated by calls from understandably frustrated voters who haven’t received their ballot,” Brecke said. “At this point, voters who haven’t received a ballot shouldn’t count on it arriving.”
Instead, she said, those voters should call her office at 541-396-7610 or come in person to 250 N. Baxter St. in Coquille. If lines are busy and staff don’t answer, she said voters should leave a voicemail.
Brecke said she and the Secretary of State’ Office have called on the USPS to make a public statement about the delays to reassure voters that they’re nothing more than a mailing mistake. The USPS has not issued a statement, and a regional USPS spokesperson contacted by the Capital Chronicle didn’t answer questions about what was happening in Coos County.
“The postal service is working with the county to validate the concerns. I don’t have any other details at this time,” USPS strategic communications specialist Kim Frum said in an email.
Laura Kerns, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office, said other counties have reported some delays, but nothing as widespread or systemic as Coos County.
“In other counties, it’s mostly issues of ballots being returned to voters; in Coos County, they aren’t even showing up in the first place,” Kerns said in a text message.
All Oregon voters should have received their ballots by mail, and voters should get in touch with their county elections office if they’re missing ballots or have questions. Voters can use oregonvotes.gov/myvote to check if their ballot has been received or processed. Voters in Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill counties can also sign up for text or email alerts through BallotTrax.
Worker confusion
Ahead of the May primary, clerks in Lincoln and Douglas counties experienced delays in completed ballots being delivered to elections offices. Those hours-long delays were attributed to confusion among post office employees about how to count pre-paid ballot envelopes, and the problem was fixed within 24 hours of the Douglas county clerk flagging the issue to the Oregon Association of County Clerks.
Three Multnomah County voters who deposited ballots in a dropbox on southeast Belmont Street over the weekend had their ballots damaged by an arsonist who police believe was involved with two other attacks on ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington. Multnomah County election officials have reached out to those voters, and they urged anyone who used that ballot box and has concerns to contact the county elections office at 503-988-6826.
Police believe a black or dark-colored Volvo S-60 manufactured between 2001 and 2004 was involved in the incidents. Anyone with information about that vehicle or the arson cases should contact Det. Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823-3473, referencing case number 24-276181, police said.
Separately, Lane County election officials urged voters in the unincorporated community of Marcola to use a ballot drop box instead of two USPS mailboxes because someone stole a key that opens those mailboxes during a Sunday night breakin at the Marcola post office. One of the affected mailboxes is in front of the Marcola post office and the other is on Mohawk River Road.
Lane County officials said voters who used the Marcola mailboxes in recent days should track their ballot through oregonvotes.gov/myvote and get in touch with the elections office if their ballot isn’t marked as received within a few days. The Lane County elections number is 541-682-4234.
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