Union County ballot drop sites open ahead of May 19 primary deadline

Union County voters had eight official places to return primary ballots as the May 19 deadline drew near, and one of the most important details was in Elgin, where the ballot drop site had moved to the new City Office at 790 S. 8th Ave.

The county’s official list included Cove City Hall, Elgin City Hall, Imbler City Hall, Island City City Hall, Cook Memorial Library in La Grande, North Powder City Hall, Union City Hall and the Union County Clerk’s Office in La Grande. County materials said some outside boxes were available around the clock, a practical option for people who work early, late or irregular hours and for voters outside La Grande who wanted to avoid a trip during office hours.

The deadline remained strict. Ballots had to be received by a county elections office or an official drop site by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, or be postmarked by Election Day to count. Oregon ballots began mailing to active voters on April 29, after the voter registration deadline of April 28, and county elections offices across the state were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Union County Clerk Lisa Feik’s office also warned voters not to rely on an outdoor United States Postal Service mailbox on Election Day, because pickup timing could prevent a ballot from getting the right postmark in time. County guidance urged voters to use official ballot drop boxes instead, especially in a vote-by-mail system where the last step still determines whether a ballot counts.

For voters heading to the county clerk’s office, the address was 1001 Fourth Street, Suite D, La Grande, OR 97850. The office was open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch closure from noon to 1 p.m. That local access mattered most in the final hours, when a missed stop at the wrong building or a late trip to a mailbox could decide whether a primary ballot made it into the count.