The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The May 21 primary election is underway. If you are an active registered voter in the county, you should expect to receive an official primary ballot by mail in early May. Once you vote your ballot, you can return it either by mail or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available throughout Deschutes County. There is a drop box in front of Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave.

In Oregon, the two major political parties, Democratic and Republican, have chosen to hold closed primaries. This means that only voters who are affiliated with one of these political parties can vote in that party’s primary.

“Nonaffiliated voters and voters affiliated with a different political party than the Democratic or Republican parties will still receive ballots for this election, but only for non-partisan contests, like judicial offices, County Commissioner, or local measures,” said County Clerk Steve Dennison.

“It is recommended that voters review their registration online or call our office to ensure their information is up to date. Voters can access, review, and update their information through the My Vote portal on the Secretary of State’s website.”

Key dates:

• April 30: Deadline to register to vote, update your voter registration, or affiliate with a major political party.

• May 1: Ballots mailed to voters. All ballots include a postage-paid return envelope for you to mail in your voted ballot, or if you prefer, you can drop it off at an official ballot drop box location.

• May 3: County drop boxes open for voted ballots.

• May 21: Election Day. Ballots must be received at a drop box by 8 p.m. or postmarked by USPS by May 21 and received by the Clerk’s Office by May 28 to be counted.

Preliminary election results will be available on the Deschutes County Clerk website starting at 8 p.m. on Election Day.