Will My Ballot Get Thrown Out? Is Voter Fraud a Thing?
WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM / OCTOBER 15, 2020 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE
10
The County Clerk of Deschutes County offers voting advice for the 2020 elections, plus a rundown of Oregon’s unique voting laws By Laurel Brauns The Source has interviewed state and local candidates all through the political season. See our endorsements for candidates in the Oct. 22 issue, out next week.
T
he 2020 election will look like no election in history—especially for people living outside of Oregon. Throughout the rest of the U.S., heavy turnout could mean long lines at the polls, and coronavirus precautions may make those lines even longer. Conflicts could arise between poll watchers from each party. On top of that, Americans may not know the final results of the elections for weeks. Here in the Beaver State, most of these issues are an artifact of another era. Oregon was the first state to support mail-in voting in 1998. It’s just one of a number of ballot measures passed over the last 20 years that have come to define the progressive character of the state. “When you look at the history of Oregon, when one party was for [mail-in voting] the other party was against it, and vice versa,” Nancy Blankenship, Deschutes County Clerk, told the Source. In 1995 for example, a Republican-led legislature passed a bill that would have expanded vote-by-mail for primary and general elections, but Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber vetoed it. In 1996, Oregonians elected U.S. Sen Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) in a special vote-by-mail election. “Then Democrats say, they love vote by mail. Republicans say, ‘Oh, bad, bad, bad.’ And Oregonians listened to all this and said, ‘This is ridiculous. We like this, it makes sense,’” Wyden told the Vox news site. Vote by mail was eventually passed by Ballot Measure 60, a citizen’s initiative, in 1998. It passed with a two-thirds majority voting in favor—a margin of 64.9% to 30.6%, according the Secretary of State. “We feel pretty good about being the nation’s first vote-by-mail state. Washington was second and then Colorado,” Blankenship said. “It is not only easier for you and I, but people with other circumstances and people with disabilities and all kinds of situations that are able to participate.” Paul Gonke, a Reed College political scientist and expert on voting issues, found that Oregon’s “motor voter” program had also begun to increase turnout and accessibility by 2017. Passed in 2015, people are automatically registered to vote when they get a driver’s license or register a car in Oregon. Gonke’s study demonstrated that 37% of new voters that year were under 30, and were more likely to live in low-income, low-education and racially diverse areas.
"The volume of mail [during the elections]… although it's large… is nothing compared to this thing that the post office has been doing for hundreds of years called Christmas and the holidays…" -Nancy Blankenship
Elections 2020 Q & A In order to clear up some misconceptions and answer simple questions about the voting process, the Source interviewed Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship for a recent episode of the podcast, “Bend Don’t Break.” Blankenship has been serving in her current role since 2003 and has a long list of certifications and memberships that underscore her enthusiasm for the democratic process. Growing up, her mother volunteered at the polls and she had members of her family who served as county clerks in other parts of Oregon. Hear the full podcast conversation with Blankenship at bendsource.com, including brief stories around the origins of Oregon’s voting laws as well as her insights on the changing party affiliations of Deschutes County. Here, Blankenship talks about Election Day and how to vote in Deschutes County.
When will I get my ballot? Deschutes County ballots will be mailed Wednesday, Oct. 14. Blankenship personally escorts the ballots over to the post office in Bend, where they are pre-sorted and ready to be delivered locally. Ballots should arrive by Saturday, Oct. 17 at the latest.
When do I mail it back or drop it off? No postage is necessary on Oregon ballots, thanks to SB 861, which was passed during the closing hours of the 2019 legislative session. Mail it back by Monday, Oct. 26 to ensure the ballot is counted.
Where do I drop it off? For those who miss the deadline or would rather deliver their ballots in person, beginning Friday, Oct. 16, 10 official ballot drop boxes throughout Deschutes County will be open for ballots. Drop ballots off before Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8 pm. One of the most popular drop-off sites is at the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office at 1300 NW Wall Street in Bend. Access the drive-thru drop box by turning east off of NW Wall Street, across from Wall Street Storage. The ballot box is red-orange and will be on the left. Also, for people who long for the days of going to the polls, the county offers the option to vote in person on Nov. 3. Enter the building and go up to the Upper Floor where privacy booths will be provided from 8am–5pm.
