Tuesday is the last day to cast your ballot for the 2022 primary election and maybe there’s some things people still need to know.
“If you cast your ballot or you bring it to the post office on election day and you make sure that you get that post mark, if we receive it within seven days after election day, we can count that ballot,”said Steve Dennison, the Deschutes County Clerk.
And say goodbye to those voting privacy sleeves taking up extra paper.
“Roughly half the counties around the state have moved away from providing those envelopes,” Dennison said.
Instead, the return envelope has safe-guard patterning inside, protecting ballots.
RELATED: Where to find ballot dropboxes in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties
You also get more time if your ballot signature needs proofing.
“Traditionally you would’ve had 14 days after election day to resolve that issue to cure your signature,” Dennison said “With the postmark change that date is now 21 days after election day.”
Though voting is flexible, the security around voting is tight as can be through monitored and key card-blocked doors and in a room with its own digital connection.
“We’re going to verify every signature on each ballot return envelope to verify that is the voter that signed that return envelope,” Dennison said.
Four employees of different political affiliations will take turns counting and sorting ballots, while the ballot counting machines, tested four times including this Wednesday morning to ensure no ballot is mistaken.
“We mail every voter their ballot and we just hope that every voter that’s eligible that has their ballot in their hand casts it,” Dennison said “We want everyone to vote.”
