# Voting in Oregon....why mail in?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-oregon-why-mail-in/40236>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 8, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-oregon-why-mail-in/40236 "2000-11-08T03:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-oregon-why-mail-in/40236/1 "2000-11-08T03:18:44Z")

</div>

I have just been informed by Mr.Ujest that Oregon voters are all by mail in.Something he just learned by watching the election stuff on TV.

My questions are as follow:

1. Has it always been this way?
2. Is this done a couple days in advance and the vote is counted tonight …or…  
3)Are they counted later on in the week as they are received back in the voter HQ.

Any Oregon dopers out there who can illuminate this burning question?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cheezit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@cheezit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheezit)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-oregon-why-mail-in/40236/2 "2000-11-08T05:03:03Z")

</div>

1. We have had mail in elections for quite a few years but this year is the first for a presidential election. This one also includes everything else on the ballot that we would normally have gone to the poles to vote on.

2. I got my ballot in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I mailed it in last week.

3. They begin counting the ballots, I think, on election day, but I don’t really know. I have never really heard. I know that if they do count them early, they keep their mouths shut.

I think the mail in idea is great. It costs me 33 cents to vote instead of $5.00 for gas. A bargain in my book. 😃  
All attempted humor aside, I think that this year, Oregon is kind of a “prooving ground” of sorts. If it works here, it may catch on in the rest of the country.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bobort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bobort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobort)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-in-oregon-why-mail-in/40236/3 "2000-11-08T05:58:46Z")

</div>

A quick note to avoid potential misunderstanding: you don’t _have_ to send your ballot in by mail; you can deliver it to wherever it goes in person until 8pm on election day. They’re undoubtedly still counting some right now…