Oregon: Do you need an ID to vote?
Oregon votes by mail and does not require ID to vote; the signature on each ballot envelope is checked against the voter's registration.
Oregon has no polling places. Voters who vote in person get and return a ballot at the county elections office, and it goes in the same signed return envelope. State law requires the county clerk to compare each envelope signature with the registration record, and no section asks voters to show ID. Some new registrants whose ID number couldn't be checked must provide ID under federal law.
What the law says
sign the return identification envelope supplied with the ballot ... The county clerk shall verify the signature of each elector on the return identification envelope with the signature on the elector's registration record.
Sources
- ORS 254.470 (Oregon Public Law) Mirror of official text · oregon.public.law
- Oregon Secretary of State: Elections FAQ Official · sos.oregon.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Phone
- 503-986-1518
- Website
- sos.oregon.gov
How bordering states compare
- California No ID document requiredCalifornia does not require most voters to show ID; voters state their name and address and sign the roster.
- Idaho Photo ID requestedIdaho asks voters for a photo ID, but a voter without one can sign an affidavit at the polls and vote a regular ballot.
- Nevada No ID document requiredNevada voters don't show ID at the polls; poll workers compare their signatures. A photo ID amendment is on the 2026 ballot.
- Washington No ID document requiredWashington votes mostly by mail; in-person voters at a voting center may sign a declaration instead of showing ID.