Harney County Clerk urges voters to cure ballot signatures before November 24th deadline
By Mindy McKerrall on Friday, November 6th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY-The Harney County Clerk’s Office is urging local voters to check their mailboxes and take swift action if notified of an issue with their ballot signature, reminding residents that curing mismatched signatures is critical to ensuring every lawful vote is counted.
During every election cycle, election workers in Harney County encounter returned ballot envelopes where the signature does not match the voter registration card on file. Because Oregon conducts its elections entirely by mail, signature verification serves as one of the election system’s cornerstone security safeguards, functioning much like a password to confirm the identity of the person casting the vote.
Election officials emphasize that discrepancies are common and do not mean an attempt at fraud has occurred. Handwriting naturally changes over time due to age, injury, medical conditions, or simply signing in haste.
When a signature discrepancy is identified, the Harney County Clerk’s Office immediately mails a notification letter along with a signature update card to the affected voter.
Voters receiving this notice must “cure”—or resolve—their signature issue by November 24th.
If a voter takes no action by the November 24 deadline, election workers cannot legally open or count the ballot. Additionally, the voter’s registration status will become inactive until updated. Returning the completed signature card promptly ensures that the current ballot is tallied and keeps the voter’s registration active and up to date for future elections.
The Clerk’s Office also issued a strict legal reminder: under Oregon law, it is a Class C felony to sign another person’s ballot return envelope, even for a family member or spouse. Every voter must sign their own return envelope.
Residents who receive a letter from the Harney County Clerk are encouraged to complete and return the card right away. Anyone with questions about the signature cure process or their registration status can contact the Harney County Clerk’s Office directly at the courthouse in Burns.
