SALEM, Ore. — For Oregonians with questions or concerns about voting this election, the state Attorney General's office says that it has set up a voter protection hotline to provide answers.
“Voting by mail in Oregon is easy, secure, and resistant to fraud.” Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said. “That said, there are reports of misinformation around this year’s election, and voters may have urgent questions. I want Oregonians to know they can call our hotline and get a pretty quick call back.”
The voter protection hotline can be reached at 971-673-4111 for anyone with non-emergency questions and concerns. Messages are reviewed regularly by Department of Justice staff, who can usually return calls within 24 hours on weekdays, or by Monday if left over the weekend. Instructions are offered in English and Spanish, but messages can be returned in other languages upon request.
The AG's office asserts that voter fraud in Oregon is extremely rare, based on studies throughout the state's 20-year history with vote-by-mail. Nonetheless, voters who have suspicions about possible fraud and other illegal election activity can use the hotline to report them.
“DOJ will work with the Secretary of State and law enforcement to investigate and take appropriate action against anyone who commits fraud or otherwise interferes with an election,” Rosenblum said.
The hotline launched without much fanfare on October 13, but has already received dozens of calls. Most were from voters who were worried that their ballots had not yet arrived. Some received multiple ballots, or got ballots addressed to voters who had moved or passed away.
"Because Oregon prints ballots 30 days before they are mailed, any registration changes made after that date could result in duplicate ballots, as could requests for replacement ballots," the AG's office said. "Regardless of how many ballots are sent, however, only one ballot is considered 'active,' and only one ballot per voter will be validated by elections officials. After a voter’s ballot has been accepted, subsequent ballots would be rejected and flagged for review to determine whether voter error or fraud were involved."
Tuesday is the last day to safely mail in ballots in Oregon. After Tuesday, voters should use an official ballot drop box. Your ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day — Tuesday, November 3.
Answers to other election-related questions can be found on the Secretary of State's "My Vote" site, or by contacting your local county elections office.
“Oregonians of all parties are justifiably proud of our elections system,” Rosenblum said. “That’s due in no small part to our County Clerks and elections staff in all 36 counties who provide a high level of service to voters and ensure that ballots are processed and counted with a high degree of security and transparency.”
