Mail Delays Hit Astoria and the North Coast as Ballots Go Out: What Voters Should Know
Photo: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
With Oregon’s vote-by-mail election under way, Clatsop County residents who still haven’t received a ballot have a date worth noting: Wednesday, Oct. 21. County Clerk Tracie Krevanko has told voters that if a ballot hasn’t arrived by then, they should contact the elections office to confirm their address and request a replacement, or pick one up in person.
The advice carries extra weight this fall. For months, residents and businesses in Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart, Seaside and Hammond have reported late, sporadic or missing mail, and members of Oregon’s congressional delegation say they are still waiting for the U.S. Postal Service to explain why.
What residents are reporting
The Astorian has documented a steady stream of complaints since summer. Audrey Long, co-owner of Cambium Gallery and Coffee Bar in downtown Astoria, told the paper she had received mail only four times since July, and that just two of five postcards she mailed to herself arrived.
Astoria City Hall has seen utility-billing mail delayed and has received mail addressed to other cities, according to the paper. A city accounting clerk said City Hall had gone as long as two weeks without mail on at least two occasions, delaying water and sewer payments, parking tickets and donations. Clatsop County Manager Don Bohn said some county mail has arrived 30 to 40 days late.
Nonprofits are feeling it, too. The president of the Assistance League of the Columbia Pacific told The Astorian that donations sent during its fall direct-mail campaign were being returned marked “P.O. Box closed/undeliverable,” though the box was open.
What the Postal Service has said
In a statement to The Astorian, the Postal Service said it is aware of concerns about delivery in downtown Astoria, including along Duane Street. It cited “local staffing fluctuations, transportation flow, and safety considerations,” and said it had recently adjusted downtown delivery routes.
City staff told Bonamici that the Postal Service informed them in mid-July that downtown routes had been changed, with City Hall and Duane Street businesses reclassified from standard to “auxiliary” delivery. Under that classification, carriers are not required to serve those addresses until they finish their primary routes, according to The Astorian. The Postal Service’s inspector general, its internal watchdog, confirmed to the paper that it opened an audit on July 22 and had identified delayed mail as an issue in the region.
Bonamici’s visit
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, who represents the North Coast in Oregon’s 1st Congressional District, visited Astoria on Oct. 15 to meet with business owners and local officials, including Bohn, Clatsop County Commissioner Mark Kujala and Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Reid.
“We’ve asked (for answers) for 14 days,” Bonamici said, according to The Astorian. “We’re going to push on this because this should not be happening.”
When she walked to the Astoria Post Office, the paper reported, she was told the postmaster was in the building but would not meet with her. A clerk told the congresswoman that the office had three clerks on staff when it should have seven. City Manager Scott Spence and local business advocates have also said their attempts to meet with the postmaster went unanswered.
Bonamici said constituents in Columbia, Douglas and Curry counties have reported similar problems. Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office said it is working with Bonamici and Sen. Ron Wyden “to get answers and possible solutions for Clatsop County.” State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, whose House District 32 covers the North Coast, called the problems “unacceptable” and said the lack of clear answers concerned him almost as much as the delays.
At a town hall at Astoria’s Liberty Theatre on Oct. 17, Bonamici again addressed the mail problems, the Seaside Signal reported. “The best plan now is to drop your ballot into an official ballot dropbox rather than your mailbox,” she said. She also said she, Wyden and Merkley had sent a letter to the Astoria postmaster asking for answers, and that her office is collecting stories from people having trouble with their mail.
How to make sure your ballot counts
Clatsop County began mailing ballots Oct. 14 for the Nov. 3 general election. Here is what Clatsop County voters need to know, based on the clerk’s guidance published by The Astorian:
- No ballot yet? Contact the Clatsop County Elections Office or visit it at 820 Exchange St. in Astoria to get a replacement.
- Returning by mail: Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the seventh day after the election to count. Given current delays, mailing early is strongly advised.
- Skip the mail: Ballots can be dropped at any of the county’s 24-hour drop boxes, including the Elections Office in Astoria, Warrenton City Hall (225 S. Main Ave.), Seaside City Hall (989 Broadway), Gearhart City Hall (698 Pacific Way), Jewell High School (83874 Highway 103) and Knappa High School (41535 Old Highway 30).
- Track it: Oregon voters can check whether their ballot has been mailed and received through the Secretary of State’s site at oregonvotes.gov, which Bonamici also pointed voters to at the town hall.
Results will begin posting at 8 p.m. on election night, with updates at midnight and again at 5 p.m. on Nov. 4, the clerk said.
Residents having mail problems can contact Bonamici’s office, which has asked constituents to report delivery issues.
Information for this story comes from The Astorian, “North Coast mail trouble troubles voters, officials: ‘Not enough carriers,'” Oct. 8, 2026; The Astorian / Seaside Signal, “Bonamici to Astoria postal worker: ‘What do you need?'” Oct. 16, 2026; Seaside Signal, “Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici holds town hall at Astoria’s Liberty Theatre,” Oct. 19, 2026; The Astorian, “Clatsop County news briefs for Oct. 13, 2026”.
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