Oregon Department of Justice investigating potential ballot tampering at Clackamas County Elections Office

Oregon Department of Justice investigating potential ballot tampering at Clackamas County Elections Office

The Oregon Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into possible ballot tampering at the Clackamas County Elections Office.

“We can confirm we are currently investigating criminal felony violations of Oregon’s elections laws, which allegedly took place in Clackamas County and allegedly involved a temporary county elections employee tampering with cast ballots,” said Jeff Manning, spokesman for the Department of Justice.

Manning did not name the woman under investigation. The Department of Justice launched its investigation after the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office referred the case to them, he said. The Secretary of State’s Office handles elections complaints but does not investigate felony matters. 

Sherry Hall, Clackamas County clerk

It’s unclear how many ballots might have been affected, he said. “One of the primary goals of the investigation is to determine that,” he said.

It’s also unclear if the woman worked in the Elections Office during previous elections, he said. 

Manning emphasized that the department is investigating the matter promptly since the Nov. 6 election is just four days away. “Just given the timing, obviously, this is a high priority case for us at this point,” he said.