Casting a Ballot | Pacific Votes

Oregon voters have two choices: return the ballot by mail or drop in an official drop box. If you are voting in another state, you will complete the entire process by mail according to your state’s deadlines (generally, the ballot should be mailed back no later than one week before election day).

Mailing your ballot in Oregon?

The ballot must be postmarked by election day and receive no later than 7 days after. We recommend mailing your ballot no less than 5 days before the election date (for example, mail by November 1 for a November 6 election). Postage is not required, and the ballot can be dropped at any USPS location or in the Forest Grove campus Mail Room.

Dropping it off?

There is a drop box right by the Forest Grove Campus, on Pacific Avenue in front of the City Library. Ballots can be dropped off until 8 p.m. on election day. Want to drop yours closer to home or work? Use this handy Drop Box Locator. Again, no postage is necessary if you drop your ballot in a drop box.

Returning an absentee ballot to another state

If you are casting a ballot in another state, you will need to be mindful of the deadline by which the ballot must be received. Some states require a ballot be received by election day, while others only require it to be postmarked by election day (and it can actually be received up to days later). Regardless, the MCCE recommends your send in your ballot as soon as possible - and we make it easy by covering the cost of required stamps if you send it via the Mail Room on the Forest Grove campus. Learn more about the process and deadlines in your state on BallotReady. 

Want to see how it works?

The Spring 2019 "Video for Civic Engagement" class explored how Pacific students vote in Oregon and via absentee ballot in these informative and whimsical shorts:

• Casting a Ballot in Oregon, created by Abby Weinman '23.

• Absentee Ballots, created by Cullen Dallas '20.