Efforts to Limit Mail-In Voting in Oregon Spark Debate
Amid a nationwide conversation about voting practices, President Donald Trump and Christine Drazan are aligning in efforts to limit mail-in voting. Drazan, a seasoned member of Oregon’s state legislature, is now eyeing the governor’s seat as a Republican candidate.
Oregon stands as one of eight states where all voting is conducted by mail, a practice that has been in place since a 2000 decision following high voter support in a 1998 referendum. In the 2024 elections, all votes in Oregon were cast through mail or drop boxes.
During a recent State of the Union address, Trump promoted the SAVE Act, a piece of legislation designed to significantly restrict mail-in voting across the country. The act proposes increased voter ID and citizenship proof requirements and would limit mail-in voting to specific circumstances like illness, disability, military service, or travel. “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.”
Despite frequent allegations by Trump that mail voting facilitates electoral fraud, substantial evidence contradicts these claims. As analyzed by Brookings, the risk of fraud in mail voting is minimal, a conclusion supported by a New York Times analysis from 2020 which states that fraud rates in states with universal mail voting are nearly nonexistent.
Drazan has previously put forward House Bill 3872, which mandates in-person voting on Election Day for most Oregonians and requires photo identification. A comparable bill introduced in the Oregon Senate received such backlash that the legislative website experienced disruptions due to high traffic from concerned citizens.
State Sen. James Manning, a Democrat, voiced concerns to Oregon Public Broadcasting, suggesting that the legislative proposals aimed to satisfy Trump’s base rather than address a real issue. “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.”
Opposition from Oregonians towards these changes is notable. According to a 2018 DHM Research poll, 71% of citizens prefer the existing mail-in voting system.
Having faced a setback in the 2022 gubernatorial race, Drazan is again aiming for the Republican nomination. Should she succeed, she will challenge the current Democratic governor, Tina Kotek, in the general election.
