What Are Oregons Voting and Election Laws?
US Election Risk Index
Snapshot: Oregon receives a middling score for ease of voting and good scores for ballot security and how its elected officials responded to claims about the 2020 election.
Ease of Voting
Some measures to expand access
4 out of 7 benchmarks
Ballot Security
Many measures to ensure accuracy and security
6 out of 8 benchmarks
What Politicians Say
Few responses that undermined the 2020 election
3 out of 4 benchmarks
Since the 2020 election, Oregon has expanded efforts to make it easier to register to vote and send in ballots.
Election security experts say some of the changes could lead to problems with voters remaining on the rolls and delays in counting ballots, which can lead to conspiracy theories and undermine voter confidence.
Ease of Voting
Is the state making it easy for eligible voters to register and cast a ballot?
Met 0 out of 0 benchmarks
How Oregon compares to other states
Oregon
Other states
← Easier to vote
Harder →
Number of total benchmarks met
A 2022 law allows Oregon voters to register to vote online as long as they have a Social Security number and permits third-party voter registration drives to electronically submit information on behalf of a resident.
Another new law created a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for intentionally misleading voters about election deadlines and other information on how to vote.
Ballot Security
Is the state following best practices to ensure ballot counting is accurate and timely?
Met 0 out of 0 benchmarks
How Oregon compares to other states
Oregon
Other states
← More secure
Less secure →
Number of total benchmarks met
In many states, voters who fail to cast a ballot after a few years are moved to “inactive” status, the first step toward removing them from the rolls entirely.
In recent years, Oregon extended that length of time from five to 10 years and then, in 2021, the legislature eliminated it entirely.
Under the new law, Oregon voters are now considered inactive if their ballot is missing a signature and they don’t respond to a request to fix it, a piece of mail from elections administrators is returned as undeliverable or they are in prison for a felony conviction.
Elections security experts say the change could lead to dead or out-of-state voters staying on the voter rolls unnecessarily.
Another new law allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by local elections administrators within seven days.
Looser deadlines like that can lead to delays in counting ballots and certifying elections, which can undermine voter confidence and open the door to legal challenges, election law experts say.
How Politicians Responded to the 2020 Election
What did the state do in the aftermath of Trump's defeat?
Met 0 out of 0 benchmarks
How Oregon compares to other states
Oregon
Other states
← Fewer efforts to undermine 2020 election
More →
Number of total benchmarks met
US Representative Cliff Bentz objected to the certification of electors from Pennsylvania.
With assistance by: Rachael Dottle, Marie Patino, Jenny Zhang, Gregory Korte, Romy Varghese, Vincent Del Giudice, Nathan Crooks, Margaret Newkirk, Shruti Date Singh, David Welch, Elise Young, Dina Bass, Brendan Walsh, Carey Goldberg and Maria Wood
Editors: Wendy Benjaminson, Wes Kosova, Alex Tribou and Yue Qiu
Photo editors: Eugene Reznik, Marisa Gertz and Maria Wood
Photo credits: Getty Images, Bloomberg and AP Photo
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