Lane County Pilots Oregon's First Smart Ballot Drop Box
Lane County is expanding its ballot drop box network and piloting a barcode-scanning smart box to increase voter access for the November 3 general election.
The Lane County Elections Office is expanding its ballot return network by installing four new drop boxes ahead of the November 3 general election. This expansion includes three traditional boxes at the Mapleton Fire District, McKenzie Fire & Rescue, and the River Road Water & Fire Protection District, bringing the county total to 25.
As part of the rollout, the county is piloting Oregon's first smart ballot drop box at the Lane County Public Service Building in Eugene. The smart box utilizes barcode scanning to track return envelopes, which officials state improves security and the chain-of-custody process. Funding for the project was provided via emergency grants from the Joint Emergency Board of the Oregon Legislature following a request by Secretary of State Tobias Read.
All boxes are scheduled to open on October 15, the same day ballots are mailed. However, the four new sites will not appear on the printed lists included with ballots due to late confirmation. Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong noted the expansion aims to ensure all county voters are within a 15-minute drive of a drop box. Due to potential postal delays, officials encourage voters to use these secure boxes or mail ballots by October 27.
