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VOTE 2020: Salem, here’s where you can vote or drop your ballot off on Election Day

(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

Election Day is upon us, and Oregonians have just hours to return ballots to a local drop box or vote at a county clerk’s office.

At 8 p.m., election workers will mark the end of the line for anyone waiting to deposit a ballot in a drop box or get a replacement ballot in person. If you’re in line, you’ll still get to vote or return your ballot.

Voters needing replacement ballots should visit the county clerk’s office: 555 Court St. N.E. in Marion County, and 850 Main St. in Dallas for Polk County.

Voters can use any official Oregon elections drop box to return a ballot, even if it’s in a different county. Ballots will be timestamped and forwarded to the correct county for processing.

Don’t forget to sign your ballot envelope on the marked line before dropping it off. Officials urge voters to not get in a hurry so their signature matches the one on file. Disparities can slow down the process and suspend counting a ballot until the signature is verified.

Marion County is also running two curbside ballot drop-off locations until 8 p.m.:

-Walmart parking lot, 5250 Commercial St. S.E.

-North side of the Marion County Courthouse, 500 block of Court St. N.E.

(Map by Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter)

As of Monday evening, Marion County had scanned in 146,395 ballot envelopes, 68% of the county’s 214,125 registered voters. Clerk Bill Burgess said voting has already surpassed the county’s total turnout for the 2016 presidential race.

Democrats and Republicans locally have turned out in even numbers, at about 80%, Burgess said. Nonaffiliated voters, the largest share of the county, are at 47% turnout.

Polk County turnout stood at 72% as of Tuesday morning, according to the Secretary of State’s office, with 43,663 ballots returned for the county’s 60,665 registered voters.

Statewide, Oregonians have cast 2,155,350 ballots, 73% of all registered voters.

SALEM BALLOT BOX LOCATIONS

MARION COUNTY (Full list here):

Marion County Clerk, 555 Court St. N.E., Ste 2130

Marion County Health, 3180 Center St. N.E. – Curbside (24 hours)

Roth’s Fresh Market, 3045 Commercial St. S.E. -6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

Roth’s Fresh Market, 4555 Liberty Rd. S. – 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

Roth’s Fresh Market, 4746 Portland Rd. N.E. – 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

Marion County Public Works, 5155 Silverton Rd. N.E. – 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

POLK COUNTY (Full list here):

Roth’s Fresh Markets, 1130 Wallace Rd. N.W. – 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily

TOP VOTING MISTAKES TO AVOID

1. Fill out both sides of your ballot. You don’t have to vote in every race, but make sure you’re not overlooking the back of the ballot – or returning a blank ballot.

2. Don’t forget to sign your ballot envelope on the marked line. 

3. Double-check you’re signing your envelope, not a spouse’s or roommate’s.

5. Don’t ignore mail from the county clerk’s office. If you get a letter or postcard after the election, it’s likely because there was a problem with your signature which you can fix.

TRACK YOUR BALLOT: See when it’s received, processed

MyVote for all Oregon voters

BallotTrax for Marion County voters (requires registration with a phone number or email address)

VOTING QUESTIONS

Marion County clerk – (503) 588-5041

Polk County clerk – (503) 623-9217

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.

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