Washington County began mailing ballots Wednesday, Oct. 14, for the Nov. 3 general election. Two local drop boxes are open for voters who want to skip the mail.

Tigard voters can drop ballots at Tigard City Hall, 13125 S.W. Hall Blvd. Tualatin voters can use the box at Tualatin City Offices/Tualatin Public Library, 18880 S.W. Martinazzi Ave. Both sites are accessible 24 hours a day and will remain open until 8 p.m. Nov. 3, according to Washington County Elections.

Oregon voters can use any official drop box in the state, not just one in their home county, according to Valley Times. Ballots dropped at out-of-county sites are forwarded and counted after Election Day.

Nearby drop boxes include King City Hall at 15300 S.W. 116th Ave. and the Washington County Elections Office at 2925 N.E. Aloclek Drive in Hillsboro.

Mail it or drop it

No postage is required to mail a ballot, but it must be postmarked by Nov. 3. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read urged voters to mail ballots by Oct. 27 at the latest. A state mail-delivery test found wide delays in rural counties due to years of U.S. Postal Service budget cuts, Your Oregon News first reported.

"You can be confident your ballot will be postmarked and delivered on time if you mail it at least a week before election day," Read said at an Oct. 13 news conference.

Ballots not mailed by Oct. 27 should go to a drop box or county elections office, Read said.

Signature required

A ballot is not valid unless the return envelope is signed. That is the rule. Voters who forget to sign or whose signature does not match their registration will be notified and given a chance to fix the problem, according to Washington County Elections.

Track your ballot

Washington County voters can sign up for BallotTrax, a free service that sends text, email or voice alerts when a ballot is mailed, received and counted. The county's press release on the election includes a sign-up link.

Voters who have not received a ballot within a week of Oct. 14 should contact Washington County Elections at 503-846-5800.

The Nov. 3 ballot includes races for Washington County Board of Commissioners chair and District 4, city council seats across the county, and several local bonds and levies.