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Millions of Americans are voting today, and Oregon is no exception, recording its highest day-before-Election Day midterm ballot-return count in state records dating back to 2000.
Secretary of State Says Returns Were Tracking Ahead of 2018 and 2022 Midterms
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said in an interview with KGW News that voter turnout was strong and tracking ahead of 2018 and 2022 election numbers.
Unofficial results will be made available shortly after voting ends at 8 p.m. tonight, November 3, with final results certified on December 10.
By Monday Afternoon 47.54% of Active Registered Voters Had Returned Ballots
The state’s unofficial report, generated at 4:50 p.m. on November 2, recorded 1,481,943 ballots received, or 47.54% of the 3,117,439 active registered voters used in the report.
The total included ballots from registered Democrats and Republicans numbering 604,825 and 454,391, respectively. These are ballot-return records, not totals of votes for candidates.
However, even though more people had returned ballots by Monday’s report than at the same point in the two previous midterms, it does not necessarily mean that the Beaver State will have a record-breaking final turnout.
Tidings Data Snapshot
Oregon’s Midterm Early Ballot ReturnsStatewide ballots received by the day before Election DayThe 2026 figure is unofficial, from the November 2 report at 4:50 p.m. These are early-return counts, not final turnout totals or percentages.
Source: Oregon Secretary of State / Ballot Count History and 2026 return reportDailyTidings.com
More Early Ballots Do Not Guarantee a Final Turnout Record
The state’s historical ballot-return records show 1,376,901 ballots received by the day before the 2018 election, or 49.8% of registered voters.
In 2022, ballots received through the day before Election Day numbered 1,354,965, or 45.2%.
The 2026 count is 105,042 above the 2018 benchmark, but the return rate of 47.54% is lower than in 2018.
Voters Can Still Return Ballots on Election Day
To be valid, ballots must be placed in an official drop box or delivered to a county elections office by 8 p.m. tonight, November 3, or postmarked by Election Day and received by November 10.
Voters returning a ballot by mail now are advised to ask a U.S. Postal Service worker to postmark the envelope by hand. A timely postmark and receipt within the seven-day window are required for mailed ballots to count.
Voters can sign up for ballot tracking through the Secretary of State’s office.
You can follow election results as they come in on our Election 2026 page and on the Daily Tidings homepage.
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