As Oregon officials begin to send ballots out for the upcoming November election, the state’s top elections officer is encouraging voters to verify whether their election-related mail comes from an official source.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read’s office recommended in a recent press release that Oregonians look for an official election photo, consider that third-party groups creating fake mail often use outdated or incorrect data and make sure their registration is correct using the oregonvotes.gov website. The office said the most accurate and up-to-date voter registration information will be with people’s local election offices.
“We’re already getting reports about misleading mail going out to voters, so I want Oregonians to have the tools to be able to tell fact from fiction,” Read said in a statement. “The good news is, it’s pretty simple: If you receive something in the mail about voter registration or your ability to participate in the upcoming election, look for the official election mail logo to verify that it’s from an official source.”
A logo for official election mail will come with a note clarifying that it is authorized by the U.S. Postal Service, and it is used for materials such as ballots, voter registration cards and voter reply mail. It features the stars and stripes of the America flag and the words “Official Election Mail” and “Authorized by the U.S. Postal Service.” It comes in black or specific shades of blue or red.
Read’s office encouraged Oregon voters seeking more information about election-related mail to contact the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division at elections.sos@sos.oregon.gov or by calling 1-866-673-VOTE. He also recommended people contact their local county clerks, who are listed on the secretary of state’s website.
