Deschutes County is outpacing the rest of the state in terms of election returns one day before ballots are due. But the county is also experiencing a low voter turnout, according to County Clerk Steve Dennison.
“In years past, in this type of election we tend to be right around 71-72%,” said Dennison. “In this election, we are, as of this moment, still under 50%, somewhere between 45-50% so we have a long way to go.”
There may be a long way to go, but voters do not have much longer to turn in their ballots. Dennison said he was expecting 115,000-120,000 ballots returned at this point. However, he has seen only 70,000-80,000.
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According to the clerk, there are almost 158,000 voters in Deschutes County.
“To get to that 70-75%, that would be a lot of ballots to come in still yet,” said Dennison.
If you lost your ballot or need to update your information, you still have time. The clerk’s office will be open on election day to issue ballots and receive them.
If you know someone who is out of town, they can still vote. They just have to drop it off at any voter drop box location in Oregon or mail it in.
As long as it is postmarked for November 8, 2022, it will count.
The clerk also reminded voters they have until November 29 to resolve a challenge to their vote, such as a signature challenge or an unsigned envelope.
