Senator Bonham: Coos Co. voters didn’t receive their ballots

Coos County residents don’t receive their ballots
By Oregon State Senator Daniel Bonham
Oregon Senate Republican Leader

Reports are showing that voters in Coos County had not received mail-in ballots with less than a week to go before the election.

This is unacceptable. Election officials couldn’t even tell residents how many ballots weren’t delivered, which shows a lack of communication between them and the U.S. Postal Service. The lack of coverage and investigative reporting into this issue is equally unacceptable.

As a rural county, access to voting is critical for residents. With this breakdown in trust, how can people ensure their ballots are cast? In a time where public distrust in our election process is at an all-time high, (ballot box fires included) these issues must be acknowledged and addressed.

Benjamin Franklin famously said we are “a republic if you can keep it.” This short but important quote discusses how democracy doesn’t continue by the simple blind consent of its people. It must be watched, fought for and prioritized by active and informed residents.

I will be looking to our election officials and our postal service to know what actions are being taken to ensure this never happens again.