Salem voters will decide races for mayor, city council, county commissioner, governor and state legislature when ballots are due Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Ballots must be in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked by that date, according to the Statesman Journal's voter guide.

The Secretary of State's office has encouraged voters to use drop boxes rather than the mail.

Unofficial results will be posted at 8 p.m. Tuesday on the Marion County elections page, according to the county clerk's office. Official results will follow after certification.

The Marion County Clerk's Office will operate a Voter Assistance Center in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court St. NE.

The center will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the county.

Salem city races

Vanessa Nordyke is the only candidate listed on the ballot for mayor, a two-year term. Linda Nishioka is unopposed for the Ward 2 council seat, Dave Inbody is unopposed for Ward 4 and Eleanor C. Beatty is unopposed for municipal court judge, according to Marion County's filed-candidate list.

Ward 8 is the only Salem council race with two printed candidates. Micki Varney faces Chris Cummings for the four-year seat.

In Ward 6, Betsy Vega is the sole candidate on the printed ballot. But Councilor Mai Vang is challenging her through a write-in campaign, Salem Reporter reported. Vega, a small business owner, won the May primary. An independent attorney hired by the city reviewed residency allegations raised by Vang's campaign manager, Paige Barton, and determined over the summer that Vega was qualified to serve, Salem Reporter reported. City council elections are nonpartisan.

Marion County commissioner

Two county commissioner seats are on the ballot. Kevin Cameron and Sara Duncan are running for Position 1. Maria Hinojos Pressey and Colm Willis are competing for Position 2, according to the county elections page.

Governor

Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, faces state Sen. Christine Drazan, a Republican from Canby, and Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith in a three-way race, according to the Statesman Journal. The 2026 contest is a rematch between Kotek and Drazan, who competed in 2022. All three candidates have said lowering the cost of living is their top priority, the Statesman Journal reported. Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since 1982.

State legislative races

Several Salem-area legislative contests could shape the balance of power in the Capitol, OPB reported. Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers, and Republicans need to flip seats to break that grip.

Senate District 11 (Salem, Keizer, Woodburn): Republican Tracy Cramer, a former state representative, faces Democrat Virginia Stapleton, a former Salem city councilor. The seat is open because Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, is barred from running after participating in a 2023 walkout. The race has drawn more than $2.3 million in combined contributions, the Statesman Journal reported.

Senate District 10: Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, is running for reelection against Republican Angela Plowhead, a U.S. Air Force veteran and clinical psychologist. The district covers south Salem, Monmouth, Independence and parts of east and West Salem.

House District 21 (Salem, Keizer): Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, faces Democrat Michael Welsh, a safety manager for Sherwin-Williams. The race has drawn more than $1 million in combined contributions, the Statesman Journal reported.

House District 22 (Woodburn, northeast Salem): Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, faces Republican Noemi Legaspi, a former Woodburn school board chair. Muñoz won the seat by 161 votes in 2024.

House District 19 (south Salem): Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, faces Republican Anna Munson.

House District 20 (West Salem, south Salem, Monmouth): Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, faces Republican Andrew Fudge and Libertarian Taylor Rickey. Evans pleaded not guilty Oct. 5 to charges of driving under the influence and is at a treatment facility in Arizona, the Statesman Journal reported. His campaign manager, Jennifer Ranstrom-Smith, said Evans will continue to run.

Voters who still have their ballots can find drop box locations through the Secretary of State's drop box locator at sos.oregon.gov.