RELEASE: Multnomah County Elections helps voters with disabilities and voters who want assistance in their preferred language

Reminder: Candidate contests for Multnomah County and City of Portland elected offices will not appear on the May 2026 ballot. They will next appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. That’s when County voters will join City of Portland voters in using ranked choice voting in Multnomah County to select candidates.

All registered voters in Multnomah County will receive a ballot for the May 19 election. Ballots will begin to be mailed April 29.

Voters who wish to vote in the Democratic or Republican closed primary elections must be registered as a member of either party by April 28, 2026 — the deadline for changing political party affiliations. Voters who are not affiliated with either party, or who are affiliated with a minor party, will receive a nonpartisan ballot that includes only nonpartisan state and local offices and measures.

Voter registration deadline

The voter registration deadline for the May 19, 2026, Primary Election is April 28, 2026. Register to vote online at oregonvotes.gov/register. Make sure to update your voter registration anytime you move, change your name or want to change your party affiliation.

Now is the time to check whether your voter registration has your current residence and mailing address. This helps to ensure that your ballot gets to you. Then sign up for Track Your Ballot after you check your registration to receive alerts via text, phone or email!

Multnomah County Elections is ready to support all voters who need assistance — not only providing services in multiple languages, but also offering accommodations for people with disabilities.

Support is available for any step of the voting process, including signing up to vote, reading or marking the ballot, updating voter registration information, and understanding election rules and steps in voting. If you need assistance, go online, call the Elections Office at 503-988-8683, send an email to elections@multco.us, or visit a Multnomah County Elections location.

Assistance available for voters with disabilities

Voters with disabilities can request voting assistance from a friend, family member, or someone else they know and trust. If needed, voters can request election-related assistance from Multnomah County Elections. Elections’ Voter Assistance Teams can help a voter in their home, at the facility they live in, or at an election service location: either the Duniway-Lovejoy Elections Building in Southeast Portland or at the Voting Center Express in Gresham, which will be open April 23 through May 19, 2026 (be sure to check hours).

This support is always free. Employers or union representatives are legally prohibited from providing voter assistance.

Independent Voting Units allow all residents to vote privately and independently

Voters can also use an Independent Voting Unit, which allows anyone to vote privately and independently. The voting devices are available at both the Multnomah County Duniway-Lovejoy Elections Building in Southeast Portland and the Voting Center Express in Gresham.

An Independent Voting Unit is a tablet system that allows voters to cast their ballots using adaptive technology. It includes a headset to adjust the volume and speed of the audio reading the ballot. The touchscreen has adjustable font sizes and three contrasting color-sets, or it can be turned off completely. Voters can use the touchscreen or a controller that can be held in their lap and has markings in English and Braille. People can vote while seated, while using a mobility device, or while standing using an adjustable table. Voters with questions can use a call button to get an election worker's attention.

After marking and reviewing their choices, voters print their ballot, sign their ballot return envelope and then put their ballot into their return envelope.

Independent Voting Units are available at Elections’ two voting service locations until 8 p.m. on Election Night, May 19, 2026. Any voter can use an Independent Voting Unit if they choose.

Support is also available in a voter’s preferred language

Voters can also request assistance in their preferred language. Multnomah County Elections has multilingual staff available and can also provide an interpreter, free of charge, to anyone who needs assistance in voting or elections processes in a language other than English. Telephone or video interpretation is available in any language, including American Sign Language.

Survey on translated news releases

Did you know Multnomah County publishes Elections Office news releases in six languages in addition to English? We’re seeking feedback about our translated content through a survey and would like to hear from you.

You can find a link to the survey at the top of each translated news release. Surveys are available in Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Somali, Vietnamese and Ukrainian.