Union County to hold public test of ballot tally system May 12

Union County will give voters a public look at the ballot tally system before the May 19 primary, with a test set for Tuesday, May 12, at 10 a.m. at the Union County Clerk’s Office, 1001 Fourth Street, Suite D, in La Grande.

The notice says the test is open to the public, and anyone planning to attend should arrive before 10 a.m. so the process can start on time. For election watchers, the point is simple: this is the county’s visible check that the equipment and procedures intended to count ballots are working as expected before official tabulation begins.

Union County’s elections office says the County Clerk conducts all elections held within the county, and Clerk Lisa Feik is the contact for questions at 541-963-1006. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a lunch closure from noon to 1 p.m. The county’s election page also ties the test to the broader legal framework, because Oregon law requires a public certification test of a vote tally system before ballots are scanned.

That legal requirement is why the May 12 demonstration matters. It is not a ceremonial step tucked away from public view. It is a checkpoint that lets residents see the machinery of local election administration before the county starts reporting unofficial primary results after 8 p.m. on May 19. The county says results will be posted throughout the night, and the final report will not be posted until on or after the 22nd day after the election.

The primary ballot itself carries local stakes. Union County lists Commissioner races, District Attorney, Justice of the Peace, Measure 120, and Measure 31-123, a five-year local option levy for control of invasive noxious weeds. That mix of races and measures means the May 19 election will help shape county leadership, legal offices, and local policy decisions tied to roads, taxes, and land management.

For voters who want a direct window into how the count is protected, the May 12 test is the county’s clearest public checkpoint. It is a chance to watch the county put its counting system through a required pre-election test before ballots are scanned and the primary count begins.