Mail ballots by today, officials say, as Marion County returns reach 22% and Polk lags at 17% (Oct. 27)
Quick Read
Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the last day the Oregon Secretary of State recommends mailing a ballot for the Nov. 3 election; after today, officials say to use an official drop box.
As of Monday afternoon, 51,819 Marion County ballots were in, about 22.1% of active voters, close to the statewide rate of 22.7%, according to unofficial state data.
Polk County stood at 17.1%, the third-lowest return rate of Oregon's 36 counties, while Benton County led the mid-valley at 28.2%.
Ballots must be in a drop box or county elections office by 8 p.m. Nov. 3, or postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10.
If your ballot for the Nov. 3 election is still on the kitchen counter and you plan to mail it, today is the day. Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the last day the Oregon Secretary of State's Office recommends returning a ballot by mail. After today, state and county election officials are urging voters to use one of the more than 300 official drop boxes around the state, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.
Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked by Election Day, and those postmarked by Nov. 3 can still be counted if they reach the county elections office within seven days, according to the Secretary of State. Because U.S. Postal Service delivery times vary, the office says anyone mailing a ballot after Oct. 27 should ask a postal worker at a local branch to postmark it by hand.
Where the mid-valley stands
Oregon had received 708,940 ballots, or 22.74% of its roughly 3.1 million active voters, as of the state's unofficial ballot return report generated at 3:51 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26. The Capital Chronicle, citing earlier state data, reported Tuesday that more than half a million ballots had come in as of Monday morning.
Here is how Willamette Valley counties compared in Monday's report:
Benton: 17,464 ballots, 28.17% of active voters
Linn: 24,978 ballots, 24.73%
Yamhill: 18,051 ballots, 22.98%
Marion: 51,819 ballots, 22.14%
Polk: 11,130 ballots, 17.13%
Marion County, with 234,065 active voters, logged 14,610 ballots in the report's Oct. 26 column, which follows the weekend, its biggest single entry so far, according to the day-by-day table. Polk County, with 64,956 active voters, trailed every county in the state except Columbia (13.91%) and Morrow (15.82%). The daily figures appear to track when counties log ballots as well as when voters return them: Polk's count for Oct. 19 was just 2 ballots, followed by 1,122 the next day. The state says all of the figures are unofficial and subject to change.
By party, registered Democrats accounted for 20,425 of Marion County's returned ballots (about 39%) and Republicans for 18,335 (about 35%), with nonaffiliated voters at 9,569 and minor parties making up the rest. In Polk County, Democrats had returned 4,450 ballots and Republicans 4,034. Statewide, Democrats made up about 44% of ballots received and Republicans about 30%, according to the state data.
What the early numbers do and don't say
Turnout is running slightly ahead of previous years, particularly among Democrats, John Horvick, senior vice president at Portland-based DHM Research, told the Capital Chronicle. But he cautioned that this doesn't necessarily mean a high-turnout year for Democrats. Democrats normally vote earlier, Horvick said, and some may have responded to state leaders' warnings about possible mail delays by turning in ballots early. He told the outlet the mix of ballots will likely become more Republican as Election Day gets closer.
Turnout will matter in several close contests, the Capital Chronicle reported, including the race for governor between Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan of Canby, and the state's tightest legislative races, which include seats in Salem.
Returning your ballot in Marion and Polk counties
Remember to sign the return envelope. No postage is needed at an official drop box, and a ballot left in any Oregon county's drop box is sent back to the voter's home county, according to the Marion County Voters' Pamphlet.
In Salem and Keizer, Marion County lists drop sites at the Marion County Clerk's office, 555 Court St. NE, Suite 2130 (indoor, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.); Marion County Health, 3180 Center St. NE (curbside, 24 hours); the Vista, Sunnyslope and Hayesville Roth's Fresh Market stores (indoor, daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.); Marion County Public Works, 5155 Silverton Road NE (curbside, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); and Keizer City Hall, 930 Chemawa Road NE (curbside, 24 hours). The pamphlet says two more Marion County drive-thru and park-and-drop sites open only on Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Most small-city sites, from Woodburn to Stayton, are open around the clock.
Marion County commissioners on Oct. 21 also approved an agreement with the Marion County Fire District to install a new drop box at 300 Cordon Road NE, after Board Chair Colm Willis publicly rebuked the county clerk at the meeting, Salem Reporter reported. Commissioners Willis and Kevin Cameron voted for it, according to Salem Reporter and KYKN. Willamette News could not confirm whether that box is open yet; voters can check the state's drop box locator or the county elections page.
The county's pamphlet also says voters who must mail a ballot late can use a parcel service such as UPS or FedEx (fees apply), or take it to the inside counter at a post office and watch it get date-stamped. The county "highly advise[s]" against mailing a ballot on Election Day because it may not arrive in time.
Polk County drop sites, including West Salem's Roth's Fresh Market at 1130 Wallace Road NW, are listed in our Salem-area voter guide, along with Marion County's full list and what's on the ballot. Voters can check whether their ballot has been received, and sign up for text or email alerts, at OregonVotes.gov/Track.
Key dates and contacts
Tuesday, Oct. 27: Last recommended day to mail a ballot
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day; drop boxes and county elections offices accept ballots until 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Last day for ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 to arrive and be counted
Marion County Elections: 503-588-5041, elections@co.marion.or.us
Sources
Oregon Secretary of State: 2026 General Election Unofficial Ballot Returns (report generated Oct. 26, 2026, 3:51 p.m.; PDF)
Oregon Secretary of State: Upcoming Elections, General Election Nov. 3, 2026
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Half a million Oregonians have turned in their ballots week ahead of Nov. 3 election, by Mia Maldonado (Oct. 27, 2026)
Salem Reporter: After public blowup, Marion County commissioners green light ballot drop box (Oct. 21, 2026)
KYKN: Marion County approves new ballot drop box (Oct. 22, 2026)
Marion County Elections: November 3, 2026 General Election Voters' Pamphlet (PDF)
Cover photo: Lane County Elections Official Ballot Drop Box, by Rick Obst, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0
Comments