Local brief
Deschutes County adds a drive-through ballot drop box at COCC's Bend campus for the Nov. 3 election
The Deschutes County Clerk's Office says a new drive-through ballot drop box in Parking Lot D4 at Central Oregon Community College's Bend campus brings the county to 13 drop boxes. Drop boxes open the morning of Friday, Oct. 16, and take ballots until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026.
The Deschutes County Clerk's Office announced on Oct. 14, 2026, as ballots for the Nov. 3 election were being mailed, an additional ballot drop box location in Bend.
Where. The new drive-through drop box is in Parking Lot D4 at Central Oregon Community College's Bend campus on NW College Way. It brings the county to 13 ballot drop boxes. Voters can find the drop box closest to them at deschutescounty.gov/dropbox (https://www.deschutescounty.gov/dropbox). County Clerk Steve Dennison said the new location will help serve a growing part of the community.
When. Ballot drop boxes open the morning of Friday, Oct. 16. Voters can return ballots at any drop box until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Returning by mail. The county encourages voters who mail their ballots to do so no later than Tuesday, Oct. 27, so they arrive by Election Day. Closer to Nov. 3, voters should take the ballot to a post office and ask for the ballot envelope to be hand postmarked. Ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by the Clerk's Office by Tuesday, Nov. 10, will be accepted.
More information. Election details and frequently asked questions are at deschutescounty.gov/elections (https://www.deschutescounty.gov/elections). The county lists County Clerk Steve Dennison as the media contact (541-388-6544).
Original source: Deschutes County news release, Deschutes County adds ballot drop box at COCC's Bend Campus, Oct. 14, 2026 (https://www.deschutescounty.gov/elections). Notice Nearby wrote this brief in its own words.
What to read next: the Deschutes County hub (https://noticenearby.com/or/deschutes), the Oregon hub (https://noticenearby.com/or) and all public papers (https://noticenearby.com/papers). Local businesses, parks and places nearby are on ZOST.app (https://zost.app).
Notice Nearby is a Public Register listing, not a newspaper, and this page is not Legal Publication. If the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office and this note disagree, the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office wins.
Source: the public notice on this register NN-GOVEMAIL-20261014-ORDESCHUTESDROPBOX · Deschutes County Clerk's Office.
This is a Notice Nearby local brief — an in-house explainer written from a government-posted notice on this register. It is not official minutes, not a newspaper story, and not Legal Publication.