As the dust settles after a heated Election Day in Oregon, counting votes is in full throttle. Those eager to take a sneak peek at the preliminary election results can head online to the OregonVotes.gov website, where live updates are rolling out.

These early numbers are subject to change over the next seven days as election officials plow through ballots, ensuring every vote counts — including those postmarked by Election Day but arriving up to a week later. Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade assured voters that "thanks to months of planning and preparation, partnerships across all levels of government" and the commitment of election workers, Oregon has conducted "yet another safe and smooth election," Oregon’s Secretary of State office announced.

While some races might still be too close to call, Oregonians can check back for final unofficial results, which are expected to drop within the next few days. It's a waiting game that comes with the territory of Oregon's inclusive ballot policy, ensuring every vote mailed on or before Election Day gets its due diligence.

All 36 counties in Oregon are currently utilizing machine counting to churn out those results fast and accurately. Importantly, these machines remain off the grid, never connected to the internet, and are rigorously tested before and after elections to guarantee spot-on counts. In commitment to transparency, Oregon law also mandates that post-election audits occur, a protocol since 2008. These audits, which require pulling a random sample of ballots for a hand count, serve as a check against the machine count to confirm its precision.

Although the results hugging the spotlight today are unofficial, the final call with state certification is scheduled for June 27. For those biting their nails in anticipation, the Secretary of State’s office promised to send an announcement the minute the ink dries on certification.