Our vote-by-mail system is under attack by the Trump administration. But it is strong, and Democrats at every level, local, state, and national, are fighting back. The best thing you can do is GET OUT THE VOTE in 2026. Here’s what you need to know.

Mail-in voting is a core part of how Oregon runs elections. It keeps people with packed schedules, mobility challenges or other barriers in the process. It carried voters through the pandemic. And for decades, it has helped drive strong turnout across the state.

That system is now under pressure. President Trump is pushing to restrict mail-in voting at the federal level. His March 31 executive order attempts to unconstitutionally insert the federal government into election oversight: calling for stricter voter roll verification, demanding that states turn over full voter data, and signaling tighter rules around mail-in ballots. For Oregon voters, the question is direct: is someone trying to make it harder for you to vote? Yes. Are Democrats fighting back? Absolutely.

Secretary of State Tobias Read didn’t mince words:

“As Secretary of State, my job is simple: protect our elections and make sure every eligible vote is counted. This latest executive order is a desperate, clearly illegal power grab… Our Constitution is clear: states run elections.”

Attorney General Dan Rayfield acted immediately. On April 3, he filed suit alongside 22 other attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania, one of the largest state coalitions to challenge a Trump election order. 

Read is preparing to defend Oregon’s system in court as well. And the pushback extends to the national party level. DPO Chair Nathan Soltz took the fight to the DNC’s spring meeting in New Orleans, where the DNC overwhelmingly passed his resolution defending vote-by-mail, automatic voter registration, and the freedom to vote. Co-authored with Secretary of State Read and Democrats Abroad, the resolution drew more sponsors than any other considered at the meeting, with the entire Oregon DNC delegation signed on.

“Democrats are all-in on protecting vote-by-mail,” Soltz said.

The legal fight is moving, but it won’t resolve overnight. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott told local leaders that a court decision could land sometime in June or July 2026.

Until then, nothing has changed in Oregon. Voters will still receive their primary election ballots in the mail. 

Voting procedures are still in place. Elections are still being run under the same system Oregonians have used for years. The process that protects Oregon’s voting rights is working, and it won’t be bypassed without a fight.

The most powerful thing you can do right now is simple: vote. Check your voter registration, make sure your information is current, and cast your ballot in the May 19 primary. Showing up is how we answer an attack on democracy.

Check out the voter resources and the Election Hub on our website.

Thanks to MultDems Communications volunteer TJ Anderson for research and written contributions to this blog post.