With a week to go before Election Day, Oregon voter turnout is slightly higher than the last midterm election.

So far, about 23% of eligible ballots have been received, according to Secretary of State data published Tuesday morning. That’s slightly higher than the nearly 20% received at this point in the 2022 midterms.

Similar trends are being reported by Oregon’s most populous counties. More than 17% of ballots have been received in Multnomah County, compared to more than 15% in the last election. In Clackamas County, nearly 24% of ballots have been received compared to more than 18%.

“I think these early numbers suggest that Oregonians are excited about making their voices heard,” said Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read. He said elections are “how we hold government accountable and politicians accountable. And I’m excited that Oregonians are embracing that opportunity.”

Read is encouraging voters to mail in their ballots by the end of the day Tuesday to ensure they are postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service in time, and to vote via a secure drop box after that.

“With one week to go, today is the last day it’s safe to put your ballot in the mail and be confident it will arrive on time,” Read told OPB Tuesday morning.

Read’s comments come exactly one week before Election Day and follow efforts by the Trump administration to restrict mail-in voting. The secretary of state’s office has previously encouraged Oregon voters to use a secure drop box this election.

With new funding appropriated through an emergency request to the Oregon Legislature, state elections officials have been working to set up new drop boxes across the state in time for the election. Sixteen of the 20 promised drop boxes were in place as of Tuesday, Read said.

“We’re racing to get the last ones in in time,” Read said.

It’s unclear what effect the president’s efforts have had on voters’ confidence in the system, if any.

Multnomah County Clerk Tim Scott said Monday that mail-in voting turnout is so far trailing slightly behind previous elections, indicating more people may be voting through drop boxes. Scott said elections officials are out picking up ballots from drop sites.

“We want to make sure people get feedback quickly,” Scott said.

Read encouraged voters to find their nearest dropbox at oregonvotes.gov/dropbox

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/27/oregon-voting-election-midterm-politics/