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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medical marijuana growers in Jackson County fly under radar ... With the pot grows come the gripes: County already fielding complaints ... Butte Creek Mill raises $100,000 toward $2.5 million cost of rebuild ... Medical marijuana growers in Jackson County fly under radar ... With the pot grows come the gripes: County already fielding complaints ... Butte Creek Mill raises $100,000 toward $2.5 million cost of rebuild ... OUR VIEW Our View: Drop off your ballot to be sure it gets counted Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News It's now less than a week until the May 17 Oregon primary election, and that means voters should think twice before trusting the post office to deliver their ballot in time to be counted. That's especially important for newly registered voters who may be unfamiliar with the vote-by-mail system. A new wrinkle this year is the state's new "Motor Voter" law passed by the Legislature in 2015. Since Jan. 1, everyone who has a qualifying interaction with the Department of Motor Vehicles — meaning applying for a new or renewed license, ID card or driver's permit — and is eligible to vote is automatically registered if they are not already. Those newly registered receive a notice in the mail that allows them to opt out if they still don't want to be registered, and to choose a political party if they wish. Those who don't opt out and don't choose a party are automatically registered as nonaffiliated voters. Those new automatically registered voters will have an impact on next Tuesday's election — if they return their ballots by the deadline. The Secretary of State's Elections Division reports Motor Voter registrations account for more than half of all new registrations: 51,558. Of those, 42,471 are nonaffiliated; the rest chose a party. All voting in Oregon is conducted by mail, but postmarks do not count. Your ballot must arrive at the Jackson County Elections Department by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, May 17, or it will not be counted. If you haven't yet mailed your ballot, you can gamble that the Postal Service will get it there on time, but postal officials say that can take five to seven days. So the safest bet now is to drop it in one of five drop boxes around the county. A box is situated in front of the County Elections Department, 1101 W. Main St., Medford, and at public library branches in Ashland, Central Point, Eagle Point and Rogue River. The drop boxes are easy, conveniently available 24 hours a day, and you'll save yourself a stamp. Ballots were mailed to voters April 29, so there really is no excuse for not voting. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501