Ballot boxes are just one option for voters in Oregon, Washington. Here are other ways to vote

Although rare, two fires at ballot boxes in the Portland/Vancouver region on Monday may have some voters concerned about the safety of their ballots.

While the polling place fire in Southeast Portland damaged only three ballots, the polling place fire in Clark County may have destroyed “hundreds,” officials said. And election officials in both states condemned the apparent attacks.

“Make no mistake: an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable,” said Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. “Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters.”

In both Oregon and Washington, voters can track their ballots to make sure they have been counted. Here are some options for those concerned about the security of their voice:

Postal mail: While mailing is certainly possible, your Oregon ballot return envelope will come with postage prepaid and can be returned to election officials via regular mail. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, November 5, 2024.

Voters can also return their ballot directly to a post office and place it in the outgoing mailbox.

Indoor library mailboxes: Not all libraries have indoor mailboxes, but many libraries do. Some libraries in Multnomah County are closed for renovations. The Kenton, Hollywood, Gregory Heights, Hillsdale and other county libraries allow ballot drop-off in the book drop slot. Visit the Multnomah County website for more information.

Public buildings:

• The Multnomah County Duniway-Lovejoy Elections Building at 1040 SE Morrison St. has a 24-hour pedestrian mall.
• Gresham Voting Center has a mailbox in the building on the first floor, 600 NE Eighth St., Gresham

In Clark County voters can return their ballot to the election office, 1408 Franklin St., Vancouver. Other sites do not specify whether the mailboxes are indoors or self-contained outdoors, but some locations, including post offices and administrative offices, may have indoor mailboxes or use drop boxes. Visit the website for locations: clark.wa.gov/elections/ballot-deposit-locations.