Oregon Secretary of State Urges Early Ballot Mailing After Postal Delivery Test

Bend, OR, October 14, 2026 —

Oregon’s Secretary of State is urging voters to plan ahead when returning ballots after a test found that mail sent to election offices in all 36 counties was delivered at varying speeds.

The experiment revealed inconsistent and slow U.S. Postal Service delivery across the state, according to the available summary of the findings. In response, the Secretary of State recommended mailing ballots at least a week before Election Day or using drop boxes.

The test involved mail sent to election offices in every Oregon county. The results showed that delivery times varied, rather than following one consistent timeline across the state. The summary does not provide the test’s date, the specific delivery times recorded, or further details about how the experiment was conducted.

The recommendation offers voters two options identified by the Secretary of State: send ballots by mail at least a week before Election Day, or use a drop box. The summary does not specify the locations or operating hours of drop boxes, nor does it state whether other ballot-return methods were addressed.

The Secretary of State’s name was not provided in the available information. The summary also does not include a specific Election Day date or details about any follow-up actions related to the test. It does not say how many mail pieces arrived late or quantify the differences in delivery times among counties.

The test’s reported variation in delivery times is the stated basis for the early-mailing recommendation. The available information does not describe individual county results or provide additional findings beyond the inconsistent and slow delivery observed statewide.

Story summarized from the original created by Alex Baumhardt on www.opb.org, see more information here.

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