Oregon Drop Boxes: New Installation Timeline Lags Behind Ballot Mailing

Oregon’s Secretary of State Tobias Read pushed for 20 new ballot drop boxes in response to federal threats to the state’s mail-in voting system, but the installation process has trailed the election calendar. As of early this week, 17 of the new units were active, yet only three were installed by Oct. 14, the date ballots began reaching voters. A fourth and fifth box, located in Deschutes and Lane counties, came online on Oct. 15. The remaining new drop boxes were installed between Oct. 21 and Oct. 26.

The delay stems from logistical hurdles in placing the equipment. Tess Seger, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s office, noted that installation requires complex coordination. In Tillamook County, crews had to conduct an underground scan for buried utilities and secure a contractor willing to work off-hours. Seger stated the goal remains to have all 20 boxes operational by Election Day, though she acknowledged that reaching 15 units would already be a notable achievement given the timeline.

The push for additional drop boxes began in September, when President Donald Trump threatened to use the U.S. Postal Service to disrupt Oregon’s vote-by-mail process. Read urged Oregonians to use physical drop boxes rather than mailing their ballots. To fund the expansion, the Legislature allocated $618,000 in emergency funds to his office. House Speaker Julie Fahey, a Democrat from West Eugene, described Read’s work as essential during a period of federal challenges to elections.

The new drop boxes join a network of more than 300 existing locations across the state. The state’s election calendar marks Oct. 14 as a major milestone, as it is the day ballots are mailed to voters. The staggered installation of the new units means some voters had fewer local options available at the start of the mailing period than planned. The Secretary of State’s office continues to monitor the deployment to ensure all units meet operational standards before the Nov. 3 election.

The funding for these boxes was part of a broader effort to protect access to vote-by-mail, a system central to Oregon’s election infrastructure. The emergency funds allowed the office to contract for the additional hardware and installation services without waiting for the next regular budget cycle. The rapid deployment reflects the urgency of the situation as the state prepares for a high-stakes federal election.

Read’s office has not detailed the specific locations of all 20 new boxes, but the additions span multiple counties to ensure geographic coverage. The state aims to provide voters with convenient, secure locations to deposit their ballots, reducing reliance on the U.S. Postal Service for final delivery. The completion of the remaining installations is expected to finalize the network expansion in time for peak voting activity.