Voter Access in Oregon, June 29

Secretary of State release – SALEM, OR —The Oregon Legislature adjourned “sine die” today, following a productive legislative session that included a series of elections reforms to improve access for Oregon voters and combat misinformation around elections. “Oregon has been a consistent, national leader on voter access and the changes approved this session will continue to make it easier for Oregonians to cast their ballots. While other states are deliberately making it harder for people to vote, Oregon is once again the leader for election access in this country,” said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. Secretary Fagan supported the following bills that passed in the 2021 Legislative Session and have either been signed into law or are awaiting Governor Brown’s signature:   HB 3291 – Championed by Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis), allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted seven days after Election Day, rather than having to be in by 8 p.m. on Election Day. HB 2323 – Championed by Rep. Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene and Junction City), makes it illegal to knowingly communicate false or misleading information about elections to Oregon voters. HB 3021 – Championed by Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland), requires the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office to make elections materials available in the five most used languages in the state other than English. SB 27 – Introduced by former Secretary Bev Clarno and championed by Secretary Fagan in collaboration with Oregon’s 36 county clerks, gives Oregon’s Clerks and elections officials more flexibility to process ballots as they come in. “I’m proud of the gains made during this unprecedented session to expand access to democracy,” said Fagan. “However, I know the work is far from over. I will continue to be a vocal advocate for Automatic Voter Registration expansion and campaign finance reform because when Oregon leads the way, other states follow. That’s good for all of us.”