Efforts to Overhaul Mail-In Voting in Oregon
Both former President Donald Trump and Christine Drazan, a Republican candidate for Oregon governor, are advocating for significant changes to the state’s mail-in voting system.
Drazan, who has previously served in both chambers of Oregon’s state legislature, is now in the running for the Republican nomination for governor.
Oregon is among eight states in the U.S. where mail-in voting is the standard. In the 2024 elections, all ballots in Oregon were cast via mail or drop box. This practice was implemented in 2000 after a 1998 referendum showed 70% voter approval.
In a recent State of the Union address, Trump pushed for the adoption of the SAVE Act, which seeks to restrict mail-in voting across the nation and introduce stricter voting requirements.
“All voters must show voter ID,” Trump declared. “All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote. And no more crooked mail-in ballots except for illness, disability, military, or travel. None.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting contributes to election fraud, though evidence supporting these allegations is scarce. A 2020 analysis by the New York Times reported that states with universal vote-by-mail systems have “essentially zero fraud.”
Last year, Drazan introduced House Bill 3872 (HB 3872), which aimed to mandate in-person voting on Election Day for most Oregonians, in addition to requiring a photo ID to vote.
A companion bill was introduced in the Oregon Senate, leading to an overwhelming response that crashed the legislative website due to the volume of public opposition.
Democratic state Sen. James Manning commented to Oregon Public Broadcasting that these legislative efforts seem to be attempts to align with Trump’s agenda.
“Is this an issue looking for a problem?” Manning questioned. “Because I don’t see it here in our state. This is something that’s a national movement to try to make something of nothing.”
Public opinion in Oregon appears to favor the existing mail-in system. A 2018 poll by DHM Research indicated that 71% of Oregonians support voting by mail.
Drazan, who previously ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, would face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in the general election if she secures the Republican nomination.
The full article can be read here on American Journal News.
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