Historic Early Turnout for Midterm Election [UPDTED]
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UPDATE - November 2, 2018, 9:43am
Midterm Turnout Approaches Presidential Election Level
Salem, OR—Election Day is only four days away. Early ballot returns show that voter turnout continues to be much higher than the prior high for a midterm election and is even approaching the turnout level of the 2012 presidential election. Turnout at close of business on Thursday, November 1 stood at 881,715, which is far higher than the prior high of 702,437 at this point in the 2014 midterm election and only slightly below the 899,128 ballots cast at this point in the 2012 presidential election.
“It is fantastic that over 881,715 Oregonians have already turned in their ballots,” said Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. “I encourage all eligible voters to return your ballot to an official drop box soon. Your community needs your voice.”
You can return your ballot at a drop box until 8:00pm November 6. Find locations at oregonvotes.gov/dropbox.
The percent of total ballots returned (31.9%) is similar to the Thursday before the prior midterm elections in 2014 (32.3%), 2010 (33%), 2006 (32%), and 2002 (30%). Strong turnout, combined with population growth and increased voter registration, has resulted in significantly more votes being cast than in prior midterm elections.
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Historic Early Turnout for Midterm Election
SALEM, OR — Election Day is only one week away, and early ballot returns show that voter turnout so far is 124,056 higher than the prior high for a midterm election. Turnout at close of business on Tuesday, October 30 stood at 657,480, which is 123% of the prior high of 533,424 at this point in the 2014 election.
“In Oregon, we celebrate voter participation and want to ensure that every eligible voter is able to vote,” said Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. “If you haven’t turned in your ballot yet, please do so soon.”
The percent of total ballots returned (23.8%) is similar to the Tuesday before the prior midterm elections in 2014 (24.5%), 2010 (24%), 2006 (23%), and 2002 (22%). Strong turnout combined with population growth and increased voter registration has resulted in significantly more votes being cast than in prior elections.
Voter turnout for this midterm election continues to lag behind turnout of recent presidential elections, which is consistent with historical trends.
You can return your ballot at a drop box until 8:00pm November 6. Find locations at oregonvotes.gov/dropbox.
Press release provided from Dennis Richardson, Oregon Secretary of State.
Be Aware of Election Misinformation
You have just a few days left to turn in your ballot for the November 6 election. Initial results will be posted on results.oregonvotes.gov starting at 8:00pm on Tuesday.
There has been a lot of misinformation about this election, and I expect more the closer we get to Tuesday. Some voters have been contacted by non-official entities telling them, incorrectly, that they are not registered to vote or that their voter registration is inactive. There have been incorrect statements and stories that it is too late to secure our elections and that our election system is easily hackable. Those stories are not true.
Well-intentioned individuals and groups are setting up websites and blogs with old and outdated information about voter registration and drop boxes, while others may be trying to prevent you from voting by intentionally providing false and misleading information. During every election cycle, people incorrectly post that one party votes on Tuesday and another party votes on Wednesday. Don’t fall for this misinformation.
Other information you may see or hear is from other states. For example, some ballots in California will require two stamps. All ballots in Oregon require only one stamp. You can also vote without a stamp by returning your ballot to an official drop box. In some other states with different election systems, they reject ballots when signatures do not match. In Oregon, if your signature does not match, you are notified and given an opportunity to correct it.
I know it is hard to navigate what is true and what is not during this election season, so I encourage you to not believe everything you hear or see. If you have a question or concern you can trust my office and the 36 county election offices for official and accurate information. Go to oregonvotes.gov for information on this election.
At oregonvotes.gov, you can:
1) check your voter record,
3) find an official drop box,
4) access the Voters’ Pamphlet online,
5) check election results, and
6) find other relevant information.
In addition, my team will be publishing election news via the Oregon Elections YouTube channel every day between now and Election Day.
I want to help every eligible Oregonian participate in every election, and my team and I are doing everything we can to ensure we provide accurate and official information.
Remember, all ballots must be received by 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 6. Postmarks do NOT count. To be safe, from this point on, I recommend returning your ballot to a drop box. You can find a drop box here: oregonvotes.gov/dropbox.
I want to reiterate the importance of voting in very election. Thank you in advance for fulfilling this important civic duty.
~DENNIS RICHARDSON
Dennis Richardson, Oregon Secretary of State