Clackamas County Mail Ballot Sorter Machine Back in Operation After Mechanical Issues; New Equipment Expected to Arrive in February

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Clackamas County Mail Ballot Sorter Machine Back in Operation After Mechanical Issues 

New Equipment Expected to Arrive in February

Oregon City, OR — On Friday, Nov. 1st Clackamas County resumed full ballot processing operations following the successful repair of a mechanical issue with its mail ballot sorter machine, which temporarily slowed ballot processing during the busy election season. The mail ballot sorter, first acquired in 2015, experienced a sensor failure due to wear and tear, requiring prompt action to minimize delays.

To resolve the issue, a technician from Phoenix, Arizona flew in to complete repairs and will remain on-site through November 8 to ensure continued smooth operation of the machine. While awaiting repairs, Clackamas County’s election staff prepared to shift to a manual intake process, with sworn elections staff hand-scanning each ballot envelope into batches, verifying signatures against voter registration records for accuracy. Verified ballots then moved to the next processing stage, overseen by bipartisan teams in compliance with chain-of-custody protocols. Voters with signature discrepancies were notified with instructions to cure their ballots, ensuring every eligible vote is counted.

The temporary hand-scanning method, a method used by multiple Oregon counties, allows Clackamas County to continue processing without compromising ballot integrity or accuracy.

Last fall, Clackamas County Clerk and Elections began planning for a replacement mail ballot sorter, which was approved for purchase by the Board of Commissioners in September 2024. The new BlueCrest ballot sorting system, costing approximately $690,000, is set to arrive in February 2025. The updated system, which includes installation, software, and maintenance through June 2029, is expected to be tested and operational by May 2025 to improve ballot processing efficiency and reliability. Click here to view the contract.

As of end of day Friday, Nov. 1st 45% of ballots had been returned by registered voters in Clackamas County, showing strong early participation in the November 5, 2024 General Election.

Sworn bipartisan election workers continue to pick up ballots daily from the mail and each of the official ballot drop sites.  The Oregon City elections office and Happy Valley Vote Center are both open Saturday, Nov 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist voters. Observation is open to the public at the Oregon City elections office today until 6 p.m. and is available any time that ballots are being processed.

Clackamas County Elections Clerk Catherine McMullen will continue to provide daily media updates at 2 p.m. via Zoom, addressing any election-related inquiries. Media representatives may register by emailing PIO@clackamas.us.

For more information on the election, voters can access the Ready. Set. VOTE! A Voter’s Guide to the November 5, 2024 General Election, available in English and six other languages. Visit www.clackamas.us/elections for additional details on voting in Clackamas County.

Contacts: Catherine McMullen, County Clerk and Justin Larsen, Elections Manager | countyclerk@clackamas.us or 503-655-8510