Election Day is May 21. Here’s what you need to know to vote.
Published 5:30 am Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Voters in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties are getting ready to cast their ballots in the May 21 primary election. The last chance to register to vote is April 30, and ballots will be mailed to voters starting May 1.
Looking to register to vote?
If you have recently gone to the Oregon DMV, you are probably all set to go. Since January 2016, when Oregon’s voter registration law, known as Oregon Motor Voter, took effect, voter registration has been automatic for eligible Oregonians.
If you have been to the DMV then you probably received information in the mail from the Oregon Elections Division with details and options about your voter registration. The information includes the need to register with a political party if you want to vote for political party members in Oregon primary elections — otherwise you’ll remain registered as an unaffiliated voter.
The Bulletin is covering contested races and ballot measures across Central Oregon. Here are links to the stories:
- Redmond School Board chair Michael Summers to run for Oregon Senate
- Republican Shannon Monihan, Knopp’s pick for Senate District 27, disqualified
- Crook County latest Oregon county to put Greater Idaho question on voters ballots
- Five-year local option levy moving forward for Bend-La Pine Schools
If not, you can register online at the Oregon Secretary of State’s website, register by mail by filling out and sending an Oregon Voter Registration Card to your county elections office, or register in person at your local county elections office.
Key dates for voters in Central Oregon
Tuesday, April 30: Last day to register to vote
Wednesday, May 1: Ballots mailed to voters, and ballot drop sites open in Crook and Jefferson Counties.
Friday, May 3: Ballot drop boxes open in Deschutes County
Tuesday, May 21: Election Day
Candidates and issues: Find all of The Bulletin’s election coverage here.
When is your ballot due?
On Election Day, Tuesday, May 21, all final ballots must be returned either in the mail or at a designated drop box.
All ballot return envelopes must be signed in order to be valid.
Drop-off ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
By mail, ballots must be received or mailed with a valid post mark by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Didn’t get your ballot?
Call your county election office. County clerk staff will check that your voter registration is current. If it is, they will mail you a replacement ballot if there’s time to mail it. Otherwise, you may pick up a replacement ballot in person at your county election office.
Deschutes County Clerk: 541-388-6549
Crook County Clerk: 541-447-6553
Jefferson County Clerk: 541-475-4451
Questions about voting or ballots?
For any questions regarding the election, voters should contact the county clerk in the county they are registered to vote.
The Deschutes County Clerk’s office at 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend can be reached at 541-388-6547 or by emailing elections@deschutescounty.gov.
The Crook County Clerk’s office at 300 NE Third St. in Prineville can be reached by calling 541-447-6553, or by emailing clerks@co.crook.or.us.
The Jefferson County Clerk’s office at 66 SE D St. in Madras can be reached by calling 541-475-4451.
Not sure what district or zone you’re in?
Find out by visiting the Oregon Secretary of State’s My Vote page, enter your first and last names and birthdate and click on the submit button.
Central Oregon ballot drop boxes
The May 21 election will give Oregon voters a chance to weigh in on a number of ballot measures and candidates for the state Legislature, county commissions, county sheriff and President of the U.S.
Ballots can be returned via U.S. mail or dropped off at officially designated drop boxes across the region.
A map to find the closest drop-off box based on an address in Deschutes County can be found on the county’s website.
In Deschutes County, ballots can be dropped off at these drop boxes locations:
- Deschutes Services Center, 1300 NW Wall St.
- Deschutes County Road Department, 61150 SE 27th St.
- Old Mill District in the parking lot south of the Hilton Garden Inn, 459 SW Bluff Drive
- Bradbury Park & Ride across from the Bend Park & Recreation District Pavilion off of SW Simpson Avenue and SW Columbia Street
- Pine Nursery Park, 3750 NE Purcell Blvd.
- Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center
- Redmond City Hall, 716 SW Evergreen Ave.
- Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave.
- Sunriver Public Library, 56855 Venture Lane
- La Pine Public Library, 16425 First St.
For Jefferson County, a list and a map of drop-off sites can be found on the county clerk’s office website, and for Crook County a list can be found on the county clerk’s office page.
When are Oregon’s elections held?
Oregon has four regular annual elections.
- The second Tuesday in March
- The third Tuesday in May
- The fourth Tuesday in August
- The first Tuesday, after the first Monday, in November
In even numbered years, the May election is a primary election and the November election is the general election. In odd numbered years, the May election is a special district (local boards) election.
For all other regular elections, there may or may not be anything to vote on, depending on whether local governments propose any ballot measures or there are any state ballot initiatives or referendums from the Legislature.
Special elections are held when a federal office becomes vacant, or when the Legislature schedules an election to vote on a ballot measure.