Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 254 § 254.470 — Procedures for conducting election by mail; rules

Procedures for conducting election by mail; rules. (1) The Secretary of State by rule shall establish requirements and criteria for the designation of places of deposit for the ballots cast in an election. The rules shall also specify the dates and times the places of deposit must be open and the security requirements for the places of deposit. At a minimum, the places designated under this section shall be open on the date of the election for a period of eight or more hours, but must be open until at least 8 p.m. At each place of deposit designated under this section, the county clerk shall prominently display a sign stating that the location is an official ballot drop site. (2)(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) to (e) of this subsection, the county clerk shall mail by nonforwardable mail an official ballot with a return identification envelope and a secrecy envelope not sooner than the 20th day before the date of an election and not later than the 14th day before the date of the election, to each active elector of the electoral district as of the 21st day before the date of the election. (b) If the county clerk determines that an active elector of the electoral district as of the 21st day before the date of the election does not receive daily mail service from the United States Postal Service, the county clerk shall mail by nonforwardable mail an official ballot with a return identification envelope and a secrecy envelope to the elector not sooner than the 20th day before the date of an election and not later than the 18th day before the date of the election. (c) In the case of ballots to be mailed to addresses outside this state to electors who are not military or overseas electors, the county clerk may mail the ballots not sooner than the 29th day before the date of the election. (d) If an active elector of the electoral district requests an absentee ballot because the elector will be absent from the electoral district during the period of time described in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the county clerk may, if the elector’s ballot is available: (A) Allow the elector to receive the elector’s ballot in person at the office of the county clerk not sooner than the 43rd day before the date of the election; or (B) Mail by nonforwardable mail an official ballot with a return identification envelope and a secrecy envelope to the elector not sooner than the 43rd day before the date of the election. (e) The county clerk is not required to mail a secrecy envelope under this subsection if the Secretary of State has approved a different procedure under ORS 254.458 that provides substantially the same degree of secrecy. (3) For an election held on the date of a primary election: (a) The county clerk shall mail the official ballot of a major political party to each elector who is registered as being affiliated with the major political party as of the 21st day before the date of the election. (b) The county clerk shall mail the official ballot of a major political party to an elector not affiliated with any political party if the elector has applied for the ballot as provided in this subsection and that party has provided under ORS