The U.S. state ofOregon establishedvote-by-mail as the standard mechanism for voting with1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 60, acitizen's initiative. The measure made Oregon thefirst state in the United States to conduct its elections exclusively by mail. The measure passed on November 3, 1998, by a margin of 69.4% to 30.6%.^[1] Political scientists say Oregon's vote by mail system contributes to its highest-in-the-nation rate of voter turnout, at 61.5% of eligible voters.^[2]

Vote-by-mail had already been implemented to a lesser degree in Oregon:

• 1981 TheOregon Legislative Assembly approves vote-by-mail for local elections, at the discretion of the county; at least one polling place in the county had to remain open on election day.^[3] The move came after efforts byDel Riley, Linn County Clerk.^[4]
• 1987 Vote-by-mail becomes permanent, with the majority of Oregon'scounties making use of it.
• 1989 AHouse bill to extend vote-by-mail to include the 1990 primary elections was defeated in a 33–27, non-party-line vote.^[3]
• 1992 Governor's Task Force on Local Government Services identifies statewide vote-by-mail as one of the most significant opportunities to save money on conducting elections.^[5]
• 1995 Oregon becomes the first state to conduct afederal primary election totally by mail.
• 1996U.S SenatorRon Wyden is elected by mail with a 66% turnout, succeedingBob Packwood.
• 1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 60 is passed with 69.4% support, mandating vote-by-mail for primary and general elections.
• 2000 Oregon becomes the first state in the nation to conduct apresidential election entirely by mail. About 80% of registered voters participated.
• 2019 Oregon becomes the first state not to require paid postage on ballot return envelopes.

Measure 60 eliminated restrictions on vote-by-mail and established it as the single form of voting for elections in Oregon. It also required vote-by-mail to be used for biennial primaries and general elections as well as eliminating polling places.

Ballot Measure 60 results by county:

Organizations which supported the initiative included theLeague of Women Voters of Oregon, the OregonLeague of Conservation Voters,AARP of Oregon, andOregon Education Association. Individuals which supported the measure included then-GovernorJohn Kitzhaber,Oregon Secretary of StatePhil Keisling, and former U.S. SenatorMark Hatfield. Supporters of the measure asserted that it would increase voter participation and make elections more convenient for voters. The State of Oregon would also save an estimated $3 million a year, in years which a primary and general election occur.^[6]

Notable opposition to the measure includedState RepresentativeLynn Snodgrass and anti-tax activistBill Sizemore. Opponents claimed the system would inviteelection fraud as well as the possibility of people pressuring each other in terms of how they vote.^[6]

Vote-by-mail in Oregon has maintained a high level of support since it was passed in 1998. A survey done in 2003 by Dr. Priscilla Southwell, a professor of Political Science atUniversity of Oregon, shows that 81% of respondents favored the vote-by-mail system while 19% favored traditional voting at poll booths. The poll also shows high favorability among registeredDemocrats (85%) and registeredRepublicans (76%) alike. Thirty percent of respondents said they voted more often since vote-by-mail was enacted.^[7]

• Elections in Oregon
• List of Oregon ballot measures

• 1998 in Oregon
• 1998 referendums
• Initiatives in the United States
• 1998 Oregon ballot measures
• 1998 Oregon elections

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