Be Aware of Election Misinformation
Yesterday I read the email below from Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and thought it to be extremely timely as all ballots must be received by 8pm, this coming Tuesday November 6th. Thank you for participating in this great process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
My best,
“You have just a few days left to turn in your ballot for the November 6 election. Initial results will be posted on results.oregonvotes.gov starting at 8:00pm on Tuesday.
There has been a lot of misinformation about this election, and I expect more the closer we get to Tuesday. Some voters have been contacted by non-official entities telling them, incorrectly, that they are not registered to vote or that their voter registration is inactive. There have been incorrect statements and stories that it is too late to secure our elections and that our election system is easily hackable. Those stories are not true.
Well-intentioned individuals and groups are setting up websites and blogs with old and outdated information about voter registration and drop boxes, while others may be trying to prevent you from voting by intentionally providing false and misleading information. During every election cycle, people incorrectly post that one party votes on Tuesday and another party votes on Wednesday. Don’t fall for this misinformation.
Other information you may see or hear is from other states. For example, some ballots in California will require two stamps. All ballots in Oregon require only one stamp. You can also vote without a stamp by returning your ballot to an official drop box. In some other states with different election systems, they reject ballots when signatures do not match. In Oregon, if your signature does not match, you are notified and given an opportunity to correct it.
I know it is hard to navigate what is true and what is not during this election season, so I encourage you to not believe everything you hear or see. If you have a question or concern you can trust my office and the 36 county election offices for official and accurate information. Go to oregonvotes.gov for information on this election.
At oregonvotes.gov, you can:
1) check your voter record,
2) track your ballot,
3) find an official drop box,
4) access the Voters’ Pamphlet online,
5) check election results, and
6) find other relevant information.
In addition, my team will be publishing election news via the Oregon Elections YouTube channel every day between now and Election Day.
I want to help every eligible Oregonian participate in every election, and my team and I are doing everything we can to ensure we provide accurate and official information.
Remember, all ballots must be received by 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 6. Postmarks do NOT count. To be safe, from this point on, I recommend returning your ballot to a drop box. You can find a drop box here: oregonvotes.gov/dropbox.
I want to reiterate the importance of voting in very election. Thank you in advance for fulfilling this important civic duty.” Dennis Richardson, Secretary of State, The State of Oregon.
