Register to vote by April 26

April 16, 2022 — If you haven’t registered to vote or need to make changes to your registration, the deadline is approaching. The deadline to register to vote or change your voter registration information for the May 17 Primary Election is Tuesday, April 26. 

Voter registration is available on a secure website operated by the Secretary of State’s Office, sos.oregon.gov/voting-elections/. 

Potential voters can fill out a new voter registration form or review and change information currently on file. 

Voters in Lane County have several non-partisan candidates from which to choose. Voters affiliated with major political parties will pick their preferred candidates for State Labor Commissioner, Oregon Governor, the U.S. Senate and the 4th District Congressional seat. 

“We often hear from voters who are confused about Oregon’s closed primaries,” said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. “So we made a quick video to help explain things.” 

People can access the video through www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsvxykXloD4. 

Both major parties —Republicans and Democrats — are holding closed primaries, which means only people registered as a member of the party can vote for their candidates. The winners go on to face each other in the General Election in November. You can change your party affiliation online if you’d like to vote in either party’s primary. The deadline to change your party affiliation before the May Election is April 26. 

“You can also be a member of a minor party or not affiliated with any party at all,” Fagan said. “You’d still get to vote on the many important nonpartisan contests in the May Election.” 

Ballots will be mailed beginning April 28 and are due back on Election Day. 

Recent changes to Oregon Elections law allow ballots post-marked on Election Day to be counted as long as they are received by the elections office within seven days. 

In Florence, ballots can be dropped off at the Florence Justice Center, 900 Greenwood St. 

For additional information, visit oregonvotes.gov, and lanecounty.org/elections.