Clackamas County Elections is on Track and Ready for Election Day

Monday, November 4, 2024

Clackamas County Elections is on Track and Ready for Election Day

Clerk McMullen urges voters to return ballots to an Official Ballot Drop Site today.

Oregon City, OR – Clackamas County Clerk and Elections staff worked through the weekend and are on track and ready for Election Day, after shifting resources and rebounding from several mechanical issues with the mail ballot sorter earlier in the election cycle. A mail ballot sorter is a machine used in the first part of ballot processing that assists in receiving, verifying, and sorting ballot return envelopes before opening. 

Elections staff received and processed 56,346 ballots Friday and through the weekend. The mail ballot sorter continues to function since last repaired on Oct. 31. Ballot return envelopes are being processed at an increased rate; additional signature verification workstations have been added, and a technician from the mail ballot sorter vendor is on site through Friday, Nov. 8 when the majority of on-time ballots through the mail will have been received and processed.

Clerk Catherine McMullen does not expect any delays in results reporting on Election Night Nov. 5 or in the days following. Unofficial election results will be posted shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 and then two more times that evening on the Clackamas County Elections website at clackamas.us/elections. Unofficial results will also be posted daily on Nov. 6, Nov. 7, and Nov. 8 as postmarked on-time ballots are received through the mail. The full unofficial election results schedule is posted online. Final official results will be certified Dec. 2. 

“I am proud of how my team has stepped up to meet this challenge,” Clerk McMullen shared. “The Elections Manager and senior staff kept ballots moving forward while the repair was made and shifted resources to keep us on track for the rest of the election. I appreciate each of the more than 130 election workers that have worked additional hours and continue to serve through Election Day and into next week.”

Clerk McMullen urges citizens to vote and return their ballot to one of 26 Official Ballot Drop Sites today. Official Ballot Drop Sites across Clackamas County are open 24 hours a day, until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Sworn bipartisan election workers continue to pick up ballots daily from the mail and each of the official ballot drop sites. Please return your voted ballot to the Official Ballot Drop Site in your community to lessen congestion at some of the busier locations. Official Ballot Drop Sites in Clackamas County are listed online at  clackamas.us/elections/official-ballot-drop-sites. Return your ballot today to prevent and avoid lines on Election Day!

Clackamas County Elections voter service locations in Oregon City and Happy Valley are open to assist voters. The Happy Valley Vote Center inside the Happy Valley Library and the Oregon City elections office offer voter assistance and replacement ballots for voters in Clackamas County. Voters can also request a replacement ballot using the online Replacement Ballot Request form at www.clackamas.us/elections/ballot-request.

Each voter service location is staffed by sworn election officials. Citizens can replace a lost or damaged ballot, update voter registration information, get voting assistance if they have a disability, get voting assistance in a preferred language, return their voted ballot, or vote in person. Voters can choose the location that works best for them.

Hours for both locations:

Monday, Nov. 4, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Sign up for Track Your Ballot! Voters can sign up for Track Your Ballot to know when their ballot is received by Clackamas County Elections and accepted for counting. Depending on volume of ballots cast, it can take 2 to 3 business days for voters to receive a ballot accepted notification for ballots returned to Official Ballot Drop Sites in the county. Ballots returned by mail or to Official Ballot Drop Sites in other counties take longer to arrive to the elections office before signature verification by elections staff. Voters can sign up at clackamas.us/elections/track-your-ballot. 

County 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 voter information about the election, visit Ready. Set. VOTE! A Voter’s Guide to the November 5, 2024 General Election (available in English plus six languages). To learn more on voting and elections in Clackamas County, visit clackamas.us/elections.

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