Read, Kotek, Wyden and Merkley rally behind Oregon vote-by-mail amid Trump pushback # Read, Kotek, Wyden and Merkley rally behind Oregon vote-by-mail amid Trump pushback by Kate Stuzin & NBC16.com Staff Wed, September 9, 2026 at 1:24 AM (File/SBG) EUGENE, Ore.
nbc16.com · September 9, 2026
Read, Kotek, Wyden and Merkley rally behind Oregon vote-by-mail amid Trump pushback
# Read, Kotek, Wyden and Merkley rally behind Oregon vote-by-mail amid Trump pushback
by Kate Stuzin & NBC16.com Staff
Wed, September 9, 2026 at 1:24 AM
(File/SBG)
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read has requested additional funds to protect the state's mail-in voting system.
The request comes amid pushback from the Trump administration on the use of mail-in voting.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, Secretary Read was joined by Governor Tina Kotek and senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley specifically to discuss the safety and security of Oregon's mail-in voting system - a concern that extends to voters as well.
“I want to get that ballot in before the time is up, so I’ll drop it off at a box. I won’t take a chance of Putting it in mail at that point,” says voter Lamonte Cherrick.
Cherrick says he is worried about mailing in his November ballot after President Trump issued an executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting and create federal voter lists - and that's a worry shared by Oregon's elected officials.
During a press conference Tuesday morning, Secretary Read urged voters to use a drop box rather than a mailbox.
“We were really pushing people to use a drop box if that is possible because it goes directly to an elections office - and you don't have to worry about anything else,” Secretary Read said.
Governor Tina Kotek defended Oregon’s vote-by-mail system.
“Oregonians will continue to have the ability to vote by mail. Oregon has spent decades building a voting system that works,” Governor Kotek says.
So, if the system works, why are officials recommending voters use a drop box rather than mailing their ballot as their first option?
After the press conference, we sent the Secretary of State’s office follow-up questions.
We asked, during the May 2026 primary election, mail was not picked up from 12 Corvallis routes. Does that cast doubt on relying on mail to return completed ballots?
The Secretary of State’s office says Secretary Read has called on the United States Postal Service (USPS) to review its policies - and it says drop boxes are the better option because they go directly to county elections officials.
Lane County also encourages voters to use ballot boxes.
“All of our mail in Oregon is being processed through one point in Portland now,” explains Lane County spokesperson Devon Ashbridge. “That process just takes longer. We really want people to consider using one of our 21 official ballot drop boxes.”
For rural voters, though, a drop box can mean a long drive.
“Given that we’re 30 miles from a town, we have two choices. This year, we’re going to definitely put them directly into the ballot box,” says voter Rick Venturi.
Next, we asked about how errors at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) prior to the 2024 election registered nearly 1,900 people who had not provided proof of eligibility. What updated process is DMV using to verify citizenship?
The Secretary's office says voter identity is verified by matching an Oregon driver license or ID number - or the last four digits of a social security number - against official records.