Election 2024: Voter Guides and Ballots Arriving This Week
Ballots and voter pamphlets begin arriving in mailboxes this week! With less than 3 weeks to go before the 2024 election, now is time to make a plan to vote. The steps we recommend, for Oregon voters and absentee voters in other states, are:
Watch for your ballot and voter pamphlet
Oregon ballots and voter pamphlets (with details about each candidate and ballot measure you have the opportunity to vote on) started mailing on October 16th. Forest Grove undergraduates will receive an email notification when their ballot arrives in their UC Box. Voter pamphlets can be picked up in the mail room, and are also available online in 14 languages. If your ballot arrives damaged, you make a mistake, spill something, lose your ballot, or for any other reason, contact your county elections office for a replacement ballot.
Voters from other states will also receive email notifications when their ballot arrives, but will need to find their voter pamphlet online as it is not guaranteed that a copy will be mailed along with the ballot. In additional to voter pamphlets, there are a wide variety of nonpartisan resources for researching what's on your ballot, many of which can be found on the Pacific Vote's Making Informed Decisions page.
Make a plan to vote
October 29th is Vote Early Day and the perfect time to get your ballot sent back! Oregon ballots must be dropped off by Election Day (Nov 5) and can be returned via the on-campus Mail Room or any other USPS location during open hours. Ballot drop-boxes are also available across the state which are open all the way through 8pm on election night - your closest box may be the one facing campus on Pacific Ave. or another near your off-campus home or job. In either case, no postage is required.
There is also no postage required if you are returning a ballot to WA, CA, or HI - but if you're voting via absentee ballot to another state which does require postage the MCCE will cover the cost! Other states may require your ballot to be RECEIVED by election day rather than mailed, which makes Vote Early Day a safe best for returning your ballot regardless of state. Find exact deadline details for your state at vote.org.
As you complete your ballot, pay close attention to requirements for specific ink colors, signatures on the envelope, etc. Once you mail your ballot back you can track it to make sure it is received and counted.
Watch for more details
The McCall Center for Civic Engagement and other campus units are planning events and activities for the days leading up to and beyond the election. Watch this space for future updates as we get closer to the election, and consider taking the Pacific Votes Pledge, if you haven't already! When you pledge you will receive custom information for your individual voting circumstances, and will be notified directly as each stage of the voting process arrives.
Pacific Votes and the McCall Center for Civic Engagement are strictly nonpartisan, so we won't ever tell you how to vote but do want to make sure every Boxer feels confident casting their ballot this November. Find resources online at Pacificu.edu/PacificVotes or reach out any time to mcce@pacificu.edu.