Deadline nears for voter registration ahead of May 19 primary

Lane County voters have less than two weeks to register to vote or change their party affiliation ahead of the May 19 primary election. 

Oregon state residents must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old on election day. Voters can register, check or update their voter information online at https://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/registration.aspx. Online registration must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on April 28. 

Voters can also fill out a paper registration form, available at https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/SEL500.pdf. Forms can be mailed, but they must be postmarked by April 28. Forms can also be submitted to the Lane County Elections Office, 275 W. 10th Ave. in Eugene, by 5 p.m. on April 28. 

To register to vote online or via the form, voters must provide either the number of an Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services-issued ID card, or the last four digits of their social security number and a signature.

If voters do not have an Oregon ID or Social Security number, they can still register online or by using a paper form. However, they will need to provide a copy of identification showing their name and current address, either by mail or in person at the county elections office. Acceptable identification includes:

• A valid photo identification  
• A paycheck stub
• A utility bill
• A bank statement
• A government document
• Proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEH).

County officials said they will start mailing ballots to voters on April 30. Most registered voters should receive their ballots about three to five days afterward. If voters do not receive their ballot in that timeframe, they should contact the Lane County Elections office at elections@lanecountyor.gov or 541-682-4234 to request a replacement ballot.

Returned ballots must be mailed with a valid postmark by May 19, or dropped off at any official drop box in the state by 8 p.m. on May 19.

Oregon is a closed primary state, meaning only voters registered with a political party can vote for that party’s candidates in partisan races, including contests for U.S. Senate, governor and state Senate and House races. Voters who are not affiliated with a party can still vote in nonpartisan races and on ballot measures.

The May 19 ballot includes federal, state and local contests. Registered Democratic and Republican voters in Lane County will select party nominees for U.S. Senate and Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, along with candidates in the gubernatorial primaries.

Voters across Lane County will also see county and statewide issues on their ballots. Among them is Measure 120, a voter referendum asking Oregonians to decide whether to uphold or reject a law passed by Democratic legislators and signed by Gov. Tina Kotek in 2025. That law sought to increase the state gas tax and other transportation-related fees to generate revenue for the State Highway Fund, but those increases are paused until voters decide its fate in the May 19 election.

In addition, Lane County voters will weigh Measure 20-373, proposing watershed protections, and Measure 20-380, which would provide funding for 4-H and Oregon State University Extension programs in Lane County. 

The ballot also includes the Lane County sheriff’s race and other countywide judicial district races. Additional city and district races and measures will also appear depending on where voters live, including a local option tax increase in the South Lane County Fire District, multiple city council races in Eugene and Springfield and a levy renewal in the Fern Ridge Library District.