Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Oregon state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: N/A (all-mail elections)
- Voter ID: N/A
- Poll times: N/A
| 2018 Oregon State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | May 15, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Oregon State Senate and the Oregon House of Representatives were on May 15, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in Oregon, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018. In the state Senate, 15 of 30 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 60 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Five Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:[1]
- Sal Esquivel (District 6)
- Andy Olson (District 15)
- Bill Kennemer (District 39)
- Gene Whisnant (District 53)
- Knute Buehler District 54)
One Republican state Senate incumbent did not seek re-election in 2018:
- Alan DeBoer (District 3)
Competitiveness
There were 8 open seats in 2018, which was less than the 18 open seats in 2016 and the 16 open seats in 2014. The 13 contested Democratic primaries was up from 11 in 2016 and 7 in 2014. The 12 contested Republican primaries was up from 10 in 2016 but down from 13 in 2014. The 159 candidates running was up from 156 in 2016 and 148 in 2014.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 76 | 8 | 159 | 13 | 12 | 16.4% | 9 | 13.2% |
| 2016 | 75 | 18 | 156 | 11 | 10 | 14.0% | 4 | 7.0% |
| 2014 | 76 | 16 | 148 | 7 | 13 | 13.2% | 5 | 8.3% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate as of July 2018:
Oregon House of Representatives
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 35 | |
| Republican Party | 25 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | |
Oregon State Senate
| Party | As of July 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 17 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Oregon generally utilizes a closed primary process. The selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members for presidential and legislative elections.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
Oregon is an all-mail voting state.[4] Each county provides privacy booths that voters can use to mark their ballot.[5] County clerks' offices are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on Election Day.[6] Oregon is divided between the Mountain and Pacific time zones.
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Oregon, one must be a resident of Oregon, a United States citizen, and at least 16 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old by the day of the election in order to receive a ballot.[7] Potential voters can register online or by mailing in a voter registration form to your county election office. The deadline to register is 21 days before the election.[7]
Automatic registration
Oregon implemented automatic voter registration in 2016. For more information, click here.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Oregon has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Oregon does not allow same-day voter registration.[7]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a resident of the state.[7]
Verification of citizenship
Oregon does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly falsely registers "can be fined up to $125,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 5 years."[8]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[9] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[10]
These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Oregon is an all-mail voting state. When registering to vote, voters must provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
If voters are unable to provide this information, they can provide a copy of another form of acceptable identification that shows their name and current address. Examples of an acceptable form of identification include a valid photo ID, paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, government document, or proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.[11]
Early voting
Since it is an all-mail voting state, Oregon permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Oregon conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Oregon, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors.
See also
- Oregon state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Oregon State Senate elections, 2018
- Oregon State Legislature
- Oregon elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Incumbent Gary Leif lost the Republican primary to Dallas Heard in District 2, but Leif was nominated to the ballot after Heard withdrew from the race.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State,"Frequently Asked Questions," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, “Voting in Oregon,” accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ Deschutes County Oregon, “Voting in Oregon FAQ,” accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ Oregon.gov, "Public Elections Calendar, November 2024," accessed January 9, 2024
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Oregon Secretary of State, "Oregon Online Voter Registration," accessed April 20, 2023
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Oregon Voter Registration Card," accessed November 2, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Oregon Voter Registration Card," accessed October 8, 2025
