Overview of vote-by-mail in the U.S. state of Oregon
The U.S. state of
Oregon established
vote-by-mail as the standard mechanism for voting with Ballot Measure 60, a
citizen's initiative, in 1998. The measure made Oregon the
first state in the United States to conduct its elections exclusively by mail. The measure passed on November 3, 1998, by a margin of 69.4% to 30.6%.[1] Political scientists say Oregon's vote by mail system contributes to its highest-in-the-nation rate of voter turnout, at 61.5% of eligible voters.[2]
History of postal voting in Oregon
Vote-by-mail had already been implemented to a lesser degree in Oregon:
1981 The
Oregon Legislative Assembly approves vote-by-mail for local elections, at the discretion of the county; at least one polling place in the county had to remain open on election day.[3] The move came after efforts by
Del Riley, the County Clerk for Linn County.[4]
1987 Vote-by-mail becomes permanent, with the majority of Oregon's
counties making use of it.
1989 A
House bill to extend vote-by-mail to include the 1990 primary elections was defeated in a 33–27, non-party-line vote.[3]
1992 Governor's Task Force on Local Government Services identifies statewide vote-by-mail as one of the most significant opportunities to save money on conducting elections.[5]
1995 Oregon becomes the first state to conduct a
federal primary election totally by mail.
1998 Oregonians confirm their overwhelming support for vote-by-mail by passing Measure 60.
2000 Oregon becomes the first state in the nation to conduct a
presidential election entirely by mail. About 80% of registered voters participated.
2019 Oregon becomes the first state not to require paid postage on ballot return envelopes.
Measure 60 eliminated restrictions on vote-by-mail and established it as the single form of voting for elections in Oregon. It also required vote-by-mail to be used for biennial primaries and general elections as well as eliminating polling places.
Notable opposition to the measure included
State RepresentativeLynn Snodgrass and anti-tax activist
Bill Sizemore. Opponents claimed the system would invite
election fraud as well as the possibility of people pressuring each other in terms of how they vote.[6]
Lasting popularity
Vote-by-mail in Oregon has maintained a high level of support since it was passed in 1998. A survey done in 2003 by Dr. Priscilla Southwell, a professor of Political Science at
University of Oregon, shows that 81% of respondents favored the vote-by-mail system while 19% favored traditional voting at poll booths. The poll also shows high favorability among registered
Democrats (85%) and registered
Republicans (76%) alike. Thirty percent of respondents said they voted more often since vote-by-mail was enacted.[7]