Misleading: Problems at the Portland mail center will keep Oregon ballots from being counted.

Ballots mailed a week early are getting postmarked and delivered on time.

The rumor: Misleading “Problems at the Portland mail center will keep Oregon ballots from being counted.”

The facts: USPS told its Inspector General it will make no changes to letter and flat mail operations from Oct. 17 through Election Day, and its extraordinary measures for ballots start Oct. 24 and run through Oregon's seven-day window for late-arriving ballots. In the state's August mail test, every piece would have been postmarked in time to count. The real risk is the postmark. Mail from most of Oregon now goes to Portland to be postmarked, which can add a day or more, and in May Oregon rejected 7,314 ballots for late postmarks. The Inspector General also found four hand date stamps at the Portland plant set to the wrong date on primary day; it says no ballots were affected, and USPS agreed to daily checks. Mail your ballot by Oct. 27. After that, ask the post office counter for a free hand postmark or use an official drop box by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.