Lane County urges voters to register, update party affiliation by April 28

Lane County voters who want to take part in party candidate races in the May 19 primary have until April 28 to register or update their party affiliation. If they miss the deadline, they can still vote on nonpartisan contests and ballot measures, but they will be shut out of the major-party primary races tied to their registration.

County Clerk Tommy Gong urged eligible residents to make sure they are registered and to check their party status now, since Oregon uses a closed-primary system for major parties. That means only voters registered with a party can vote for that party’s candidates. For Lane County residents who care most about which names advance in the Democratic or Republican primaries, the deadline is the practical cutoff that determines whether their ballots will include those choices.

The Oregon statewide primary election is scheduled for May 19, 2026, and ballots will begin mailing in Lane County on May 1. Voters who have moved, changed names or switched party affiliation should act before the end of April so their information is current before ballots go out.

Lane County Elections said online registration is available until 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time on April 28. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by that day, and hand-delivered forms must reach the Lane County Elections Office on West 10th Avenue in Eugene by 5 p.m. The county also says voters can track their ballot status online and use county drop boxes for ballot return.

Oregon election guidance says voters not registered with a major party can still participate in nonpartisan contests, including judicial elections, and in ballot measures that appear on the primary ballot. That makes the registration deadline especially important for anyone expecting to vote in a party’s nominee race, while still leaving room for every voter to weigh in on measures and other nonpartisan choices.

Lane County elections are administered by the county clerk under Oregon law, with statewide rules set by the Oregon Secretary of State. For voters who want the ballot they expect in early May, the next two weeks are the critical window.