PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5, the Clackamas County Clerk and Elections Office announced it is "on track" after facing ballot processing delays because of a broken mail sorter.
On Nov. 2, the elections office said the sorter was repaired, noting they have not seen issues with the machine since it was repaired.
The issue started the week after ballots were mailed to Clackamas County voters, officials said on Oct. 31 — explaining the mail sorter abruptly stopped moving ballots, which made it challenging to process large batches of ballots without interruption.
According to the elections office, ballot return envelopes are now being processed faster, and more voter signature verification stations have been added in the office. Additionally, a technician who flew in from Arizona to repair the machine will stay on-site to ensure a smooth ballot count.
“I am proud of how my team has stepped up to meet this challenge,” Clackamas County Clerk Catherine McMullen said. “The elections manager and senior staff kept ballots moving forward while the repair was made and shifted resources to keep us on track for the rest of the election. I appreciate each of the more than 130 election workers that have worked additional hours and continue to serve through Election Day and into next week.”
Moving forward, McMullen does not expect any delays in election results reporting on election night or in the following days.
Clackamas County Elections Office staff resorted to scanning ballots by hand while the machine was down, officials said, noting hand-scanning is still used in some Oregon counties.
The now-fixed sorter has been with the county since 2015 and was broken from "wear and tear," the elections office said, adding the county bought a new sorter for about $690,000 that's expected to arrive in February. The purchase was approved by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners in September.
On Friday, and throughout the weekend, the elections office received more than 56,000 ballots, and as of Friday, the county saw 45% voter turnout before Election Day, which the office deemed "strong early participation."
