P R E S S   R E L E A S E

Secretary of State SHEMIA FAGAN The State of Oregon

Contact: Ben Morris, 971-209-5521, ben.morris@sos.oregon.gov

Secretary of State Releases New PSA On Postmark Rule

The new PSA is the latest project in the Trusted Info 2022 campaign, a national effort to pre-bunk false election information.

SALEM, OR — Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan released a new PSA today to educate voters about the postmark rule. This is the second PSA the Secretary has released as part of the Trusted Info 2022 campaign. The new PSA is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Somali.

“Our best tool in the fight against false information is true information,” said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. “We are committed to reaching Oregon voters early and often so the first thing they hear about Oregon elections is the truth.”

Access the PSA

Oregon SOS encourages media outlets to air the PSA, post it to their websites, or share content on their social media pages.

• Video
• Audio
• Graphics for print and social media (to promote Oregonvotes.gov) 
• 30-second spots available on request. Contact Ben Morris at ben.morris@sos.oregon.gov. 

About the postmark rule

A new law in Oregon known as the "postmark rule" says that any ballot postmarked by Election Day is considered on time even if it arrives at elections offices up to 7 days after the election. Voters may be able to put their ballots in the mail as late as Election Day if their mail is collected by USPS and postmarked that day. 

The new law will mean that the total number of votes cast in the election will increase in the days following Election Day. These are not "late" votes. Every vote tallied by elections officials will have been cast on time. 

The new law could mean that very close contests will not be decided on election night. Even if the results come in a little slower, they will be accurate. 

The State Legislature passed the postmark rule into law in 2021. 

Additional information 

The public service announcements were done in partnership with Happylucky, a Portland-based design firm.

There is no media buy associated with the May Election campaign. Funding for the project was provided by the Legislature as part of an election modernization fund, repurposed in the 2022 legislative session.

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About Secretary Shemia Fagan

Pronunciation: shuh-MEE-uh (rhymes with “Maria”) FAY-gen (rhymes with “Megan”)

Shemia Fagan is Oregon’s 28th Secretary of State. She grew up in small Oregon towns, Dufur and The Dalles, and was raised by her single dad and two older brothers. Her public service began on her local school board. She was later elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, then to the Oregon State Senate. Secretary Fagan was a civil rights attorney before being elected to Secretary of State in 2020. She stays busy keeping up with her young children, teaching her dog not to jump on people and being a fanatic for women’s basketball.

About Oregon SOS

The Oregon Secretary of State is one of three constitutional offices created at statehood. As an independent constitutional officer, the Secretary of State answers directly and solely to the people of Oregon.

Our Mission

Build trust between Oregonians and their state government so Oregonians can trust the public services and the public servants who can make a difference in their everyday lives.