SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division said Thursday that it had closed down its phone lines after being "overwhelmed" by out-of-state callers misled by false information being spread online.
Misinformation has been spreading for at least a week after a prominent right-wing Twitter/X account pointed out that former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, does not appear in the official Oregon voters' pamphlet for the November general election.
But the post is missing key context that has been available since at least April of this year, as Trump did not appear in the voters' pamphlet for the May primary, either. It was the decision of the Trump campaign not to be included in the guide, something that the Oregon Republican Party has confirmed in statements both then and now.
There's a $3,500 fee for presidential or vice presidential candidates to appear in the voters' pamphlet, as well as a required submission of 500 verified signatures. As the highest office, it's the highest standard for inclusion charged by the state, and the requirements go down depending on the significance of the office. For city offices, the cost is $600 and 200 verified signatures.
After meeting those requirements, presidential candidates can submit a statement of up to 350 words.
Democratic Party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris did opt to appear in the guide, having met the requirements. Harris appears alongside her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Third-party candidates chose to appear as well. Those include Pacific Green Party candidate Jill Stein, We The People party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver.
While it's not clear why the Trump campaign opted against being included in the Oregon voters' pamphlet, the Oregon Republican Party said it was a decision they made "earlier this year." Voter guide or no, Trump did appear on the May primary ballots, and his ticket will appear on November general election ballots as well.
A Twitter/X post that appears to have helped spread this misinformation was still up as of Thursday, though it now includes a Community Notes tag providing the context.
“Oregonians who need assistance will now have to wait because some individuals operating in bad faith are misleading people online,” said Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. “We need to do more as a country to discourage this kind of behavior. Spreading rumors and false claims of election interference does nothing to help Oregonians.”
The secretary of state's office said that Oregon voters in need of assistance can find information online at OregonVotes.gov or by contacting the Elections Division via email at elections.sos@sos.oregon.gov. Legitimate callers can still leave a voicemail, and the Elections Division will prioritize those for a return call, they said.
It's a crime under Oregon law to harass or threaten an election worker in the course of their job, the secretary of state's office added.
Ballots began going out Wednesday for the general election, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Ballots can be returned at a valid dropbox by 8 p.m. that day to be counted, or they can be mailed as long as they're postmarked on Election Day or earlier.
