Ballot tampering reported in Oregon
PORTLAND – Authorities said Friday they were investigating suspected ballot tampering by an election worker in one of Oregon’s most populous counties.
Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall said a criminal violation of election law was uncovered by her office Wednesday and reported to the secretary of state’s Elections Division.
Hall declined to identify the worker or describe the specific nature of the violation.
The Willamette Week newspaper reported the election worker filled in Republican bubbles on ballots where preferences had been left empty by voters in the county, which primarily comprises Portland suburbs.
A person with knowledge of the investigation said Willamette Week accurately described the incident. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Oregon was the first state to conduct elections exclusively by mail, and this is the fourth presidential election in which the system has been used. Despite initial fears that the method would lead to fraud, allegations have been rare.
The secretary of state’s office sent an observer Friday to monitor ballot counting in the county, said Andrea Cantu-Schomus, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state.
Officials wouldn’t say how extensive they suspect the tampering might have been. About 95,500 of the county’s 228,000 registered voters had returned their ballots as of Thursday.
Clackamas County is home to 10 percent of Oregon’s registered voters, and is almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. It’s considered a swing county that is pivotal in deciding close statewide races. Three neck-and-neck legislative races could be decisive in determining which party controls the state House.
Democrats were angry about the reports of potential manipulation benefiting Republicans, saying even a small number of affected ballots could have widespread implications.
“This isn’t just a Clackamas County issue, this is a statewide issue because this could determine who has the majority in the Oregon House for the next two years,” said Rep. Tina Kotek, the House Democratic leader in charge of her party’s effort to win House races.
The House is currently tied 30-30 between Republicans and Democrats, so each party would need to swing just one district to grab the majority and dictate the agenda in the Legislature for the next two years. And legislative races are sometimes close – a Clackamas County Senate race was decided by 227 votes in 2010, and another in southern Oregon by 275 votes.