Oregon elections 'on track' in Lincoln, Douglas counties after ballot returns delayed
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Ahead of Oregon's May 21 primary, elections in Lincoln and Douglas counties are "back on track" after some ballot returns were delayed, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's office.
The week of May 13, county clerks alerted the Oregon Secretary of State's office of the delays, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
According to the secretary of state's office, the delay appeared to be caused by a misunderstanding within USPS on how to process the ballots because the state “picks up the tab” for paid postage for mail-in ballots, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office told KOIN 6 News.
“We are in constant communication with USPS and county clerks to monitor for situations like these. USPS assured us during the Thursday meeting that the issue would be resolved by Friday; since then, everything appears to be back on track. After the election, we’ll debrief with our partners to fully understand the scope of the issue and identify ways we can prevent this from happening in the future,” the secretary of state’s office told KOIN 6 News on Monday.
The office said this was a “minor issue,” noting the delay was hours-long, has since been resolved, and will not impact the timeliness of the primary election results.
USPS explained that in Douglas County, a “limited number” of ballots were not immediately available to election officials but were made available later in the day.
“We are reviewing procedures with our employees and remain committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail,” USPS said.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office held a call on May 16 with USPS and the Oregon Association of County Clerks regarding the delay.
The call came after Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) sent a letter to Democratic House Speaker Julie Fahey and House Majority Leader Rep. Ben Bowman requesting a Rules Committee hearing with Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade on May 31 to answer questions about “the chain of custody issues surrounding the return of completed ballots.”
In a May 17 statement, Rep. Helfrich said “Oregonians deserve to have full faith and trust in our elections system, and it is the Secretary of State’s job to establish and maintain that faith and trust.”
He continued, “However, as of this writing, the Secretary of State’s office has yet to share precise details of both the problems that occurred and the planned remedy. The people of Oregon deserve answers in full view of the public to these fundamental questions.”
KOIN 6 News reached out to Speaker Fahey and Leader Bowman for a response to the letter. KOIN 6 News will update this story if they respond.