Nearly 37% of registered Washington County voters had turned in their ballots as of Oct. 30, The Oregonian reported. That leaves a large share of Hillsboro residents with three days to get their votes in before the 8 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

County officials are urging voters to skip the mailbox. While ballots postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted, potential U.S. Postal Service delays could mean a missed vote, according to The Oregonian. The city of Hillsboro recommends returning ballots at a drop box if it is within seven days of the election.

Hillsboro has five official drop box locations, all open 24 hours a day, according to Washington County Elections:

  • Hillsboro Brookwood Library, 2850 N.E. Brookwood Parkway
  • Hillsboro Public Library-Shute Park, 775 S.E. 10th Ave.
  • Public Services Building parking lot, 155 N. First Ave.
  • Washington County Elections Office, 2925 N.E. Aloclek Drive
  • Westside Commons, 801 N.E. 34th Ave.

Voters can also drop ballots at any official drop site in the state, not just within their home county, according to the Hillsboro News Times. Ballots are not valid unless the envelope is signed.

What's on the ballot

Hillsboro voters face a packed ballot. Three City Council seats are up for election, with nine candidates running across Wards 1, 2 and 3, according to the Hillsboro News Times' election guide. While candidates run in wards, all are elected at-large, meaning every voter weighs in on all three races.

Two Washington County Board of Commissioners runoffs also appear on the ballot. Neither race produced a majority winner in the primary.

Commissioners Nafisa Fai and Pam Treece are competing for county chair. The seat opened after former Chair Kathryn Harrington resigned effective Oct. 2. Harrington's departure followed a Sept. 15 work session in which she directed a middle finger at Fai during a board meeting, as KGW reported. The chair leads the board overseeing the county's $2 billion budget, according to The Oregonian.

In the District 4 race, former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway faces Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair. The district covers Hillsboro, Forest Grove and a large area of rural and unincorporated land. Commissioner Jerry Willey, the current District 4 representative, is set to step down in January. As we reported Oct. 30, data center development has become a dividing line in both commission contests.

School bond

The Hillsboro School District (HSD) is asking voters to approve a $430 million construction bond, listed as Measure 34-355. The bond would fund projects at every school and district building, including roof and HVAC repairs, safety upgrades and modernized classrooms, according to the district. The school board approved placing the measure on the ballot unanimously on May 26.

The tax rate would be $1.84 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district says that rate would replace an expiring bond at a decrease of 18 cents from the average rate property owners have paid over the past three years. If approved, HSD would also secure a state matching grant of more than $6 million, according to the district.

HSD noted that most voters will find the measure on the back of their ballot.

Track your ballot

Washington County voters can sign up for BallotTrax, a free service from the Oregon Secretary of State's Office that sends updates by text, email or phone when a ballot is mailed, received, accepted or flagged for an issue. Unofficial results will be available shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, according to the city of Hillsboro. Final results will be certified Dec. 10.