Oregon’s Mailed Ballot Returns Delayed Due to Confusion About Counting Process

Post offices in two Oregon counties have caused delays in getting ballots from local post offices to county election offices ahead of the May 21 primary election in the vote-by-mail state. After learning from county election clerks that ballot returns were lower than expected and some post offices across the state were delaying delivery of completed ballots, Oregon election officials met with USPS representatives on May 16 to address the issue. The delay was the result of confusion about who is responsible for counting the ballots to calculate how much the state owes USPS for postage, state election officials explained. Under an Oregon law passed in 2019, the state pays the postal service for ballots they process so that voters are not required to put a stamp on their ballot return envelopes....