Oregonians urge early voting at statewide ‘No Kings’ protests ahead of election | Columbia County Spotlight

Demonstrators gather in Happy Valley, Oregon, on Oct. 17, 2026. (Shaanth Nanguneri/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon election officials began mailing ballots to voters on Wednesday. Ahead of the election, some held demonstrations expressing support for the act of voting.
HAPPY VALLEY — With the November election looming less than three weeks away, Oregonians took to the streets Saturday in the nation’s first vote-by-mail state to slam the Trump administration and encourage their fellow citizens to cast their ballots.
The coordinated national No Kings demonstrations are meant to encourage early voting. County election officials in Oregon began mailing ballots to the state’s 3.1 million voters on Wednesday, and ballots must be returned or in the mail with a postmark by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
Oregon organizers planned more than 30 rallies across the state Saturday as part of the national movement, with the largest expected in downtown Portland.