Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Oregon
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Oregon, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Oregon Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Tuesday, October 13
By 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific time on the 21st day before the election.
- Register by mail by
Tuesday, October 13
21 days before Election Day.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, October 13
At your county elections office or certain state agencies such as the DMV.
- Same-day registration
No
No same-day registration; the deadline is 21 days before Election Day.
- Early voting
No in-person early voting
No separate early voting period; ballots are mailed starting October 14.
- How early voting works
There is no in-person early voting: every active voter gets a ballot in the mail. You can vote and return it as soon as it arrives.
- Request a mail ballot by
No request needed; counties mail ballots starting October 14.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Drop box or county elections office: by 8 p.m. on Election Day. By mail: postmarked by Election Day and received by the county within 7 days (by November 10). The state recommends mailing by October 27.
- Election Day polling hours
Polls close at 8 p.m.
Ballots must be in a drop box or at the county elections office by 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. at a drop site or county office may still vote (ORS 254.470(12)).
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Every voter is mailed a ballot
Ballots are mailed to every active registered voter. Voters with inactive status don't get one and must update their registration.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Official ballot drop boxes statewide; the locator opens about 20 days before Election Day. Drop sites must be open until at least 8 p.m. on Election Day (ORS 254.470).
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Yes
Postmarked by Election Day and received within 7 days (by November 10).
ID at the polls
- The rule
No ID needed for most voters
Oregon votes by mail; ballots are verified by comparing the envelope signature with the voter's registration record. A voter whose signature is challenged has until 21 days after the election to resolve it.
- What to bring
No ID is needed to vote. Sign your ballot return envelope: the county checks the signature against your registration record.
When will we know results in Oregon?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. local time (the state spans Pacific and Mountain time) — 11 p.m. Eastern
8 p.m. Pacific is the last drop-off deadline in the state.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Wednesday, October 14
As soon as ballots arrive, county clerks may open envelopes (after signature verification) and scan ballots into the tally system under a state-approved security plan (ORS 254.478). Ballots start going out October 14.
- Counties finish their count by
Monday, November 30
Computed: county clerks deliver abstracts no later than the 27th day after the election (ORS 254.545).
- State certifies results
Thursday, December 10
Computed: the Secretary of State canvasses votes for state and federal offices no later than the 37th day after the election (ORS 254.555). The governor's race is canvassed separately under the Oregon Constitution.
- Automatic recount
0.2% or less
A full recount is automatic when the margin between the apparent winner and the closest loser is 0.2% or less of the votes for both, or there's a tie (ORS 258.280). Same threshold for measures (ORS 258.290).
- Requested recount
A candidate or party officer may demand a recount in chosen precincts with a cash deposit (ORS 258.161).
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
ORS 254.065(1) elects the candidate with the highest number of votes.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
There are no statewide ballot measures in Oregon's November 2026 election.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Oregon Secretary of State.