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Date: July 09, 2026
Dear Oregonians,
I want to thank you for doing your part in this year’s Primary Election– for casting your ballot and making your voice heard. Thank you for participating in our democracy.
Voting is safe and convenient here in Oregon thanks to our vote-by-mail system. We consistently have some of the highest voter turnout in the country because of it, and this election was no exception. More than 1.28 million eligible Oregonians voted in this year’s primary. That’s the highest turnout we’ve ever seen in a midterm primary election.
And with several important measures and candidate races on the ballot, Oregonians showed up to shape the future of their communities and our state. Together, you decided who we’ll see on the November ballot and helped chart the course Oregon will take in the years ahead.
I cannot overstate how meaningful that is.
Voting is how we hold politicians accountable. It’s how we elect representatives to advocate for our communities. It’s how we shape the future of our state, and our country.
Your vote is your power.
That’s exactly why our most fundamental right-has come under increasing attack in recent months.
We’ve seen unconstitutional executive orders that threaten the integrity of our elections get issued. We’ve seen lawsuits aimed at undermining vote-by-mail get filed. We’ve seen repeated efforts aimed at making Americans question whether their vote truly matters.
But our democracy holds strong.
We’ve gotten a lot of great news in the past few weeks, and I hope you’ll take a moment to read more on that below, but here’s the bottom line: your vote matters, and you can trust that it will be counted this November.
Just remember to vote early, and use an official ballot drop box whenever possible.
As we ring out our nation’s 250th anniversary, the semiquincentennial, we’re reminded that the work of building a more perfect union belongs to all of us.
Every election provides us with another opportunity to do that work together, and I look forward to joining you in that effort this November.
Sincerely,
Tobias Read
Oregon Secretary of State
Good News for Our Elections
Supreme Court Protects Oregon Voters’ Right to Have Their Ballots Counted
Last week, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Watson v. RNC that states have the authority to count ballots that are cast by Election Day and received within a post-Election Day grace period.
In 2022, Oregon law established a 7-day post-Election Day grace period that allowed elections officials to count ballots that were cast on or before Election Day but delivered after Election Day. The post-Election Day grace period protects thousands of Oregonians’ votes from being thrown out because of delays at the Post Office. This is a big win for Oregon voters. You can read more about this ruling here.
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Federal Court Blocks Executive Order that Would Undermine Vote-by-Mail
On June 25, a federal court blocked the President’s March 2026 executive order that would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to deny ballots to voters not on the federal government’s list of approved voters, infringing upon states’ authority to administer elections. You can read more about this win here.
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Victory in Executive Order Case on Voting Rights
2026 Primary Election Town Halls
I’d like to give a special shout out to every Oregonian who joined me at a town hall this spring.
Whether you participated online or attended in Corvallis, Philomath, Portland, or Lincoln City, you showed up with the thoughtful questions and concerns that so many Oregonians are thinking about right now. I’m grateful for the meaningful conversations we had together.
As we head toward the November General Election, I want to make sure you have the information you need to cast your ballot with confidence. That’s why I’ll be traveling across Oregon for another round of town halls this fall. Stay tuned for dates and locations—I hope to see you there.
New Secretary of State Website is LIVE!
Exciting news: our office launched a new and improved website today, meant to help you and every Oregonian get the information you need fast.
It’s easier to navigate, works better on your phone, and has improved search tools to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Whether you’re registering a business, checking election information, researching Oregon history, or looking for public records, this new website will make it a whole lot easier. Please, take a look! You can visit the new website at sos.oregon.gov.
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