PORTLAND, Ore. — The general election is just three weeks away and today, Tuesday, Oct. 15, is the last day to register to vote in Oregon. Anyone who registers after the deadline won't be eligible to vote in the upcoming election and won't receive a ballot.
"As of this morning, we are just short of 575,000 registered voters," said Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott, "Which is a little higher than we were in November of 2020."
Scott said his team is ready to collect all valid voting registrations.
"We have been working on preparing for this election since about two years ago," he said.
If you've waited until the last second to get registered, not to worry: it's an easy process. All you need to get started is a valid Oregon driver's license, permit or state ID card.
You can register in person until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at either the Multnomah County Elections building off Morrison or the Multnomah County East Building off 8th Street in Gresham.
But if you can't get there in time or you need a little extra time, you can also register online all the way up until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. Just go to the Oregon Secretary of State's website and follow these steps:
- Click "Register to vote now"
- Answer the questions
- Plug in your Oregon DMV number, first and last name, and birthday
- Add your current address and press submit
If you're not sure if you're already registered, the same system can also be used to check your status online.
You can also call the Attorney General's voter protection hotline at 971-673-4111 with non-emergency questions and concerns about the voting process.
Scotts told KGW that ballots will be sent out as early as Wednesday and continuing into next week. As a reminder, ballots have to be back in the mail and postmarked by 8 p.m. on election day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Washington residents have longer to get registered, because the state allows voter registration all the way up to the day of the election. However, it can only be done by mail or online until Oct. 28. If you miss that deadline, you'll have to register in person.