Beaverton voters should check for the Official Election Mail logo on any election-related mail they receive, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read warned in a Friday, Sept. 18 advisory about misleading mailers circulating statewide ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

Read's office said it has received reports of misleading mail already going out to voters. The trademarked Official Election Mail logo, authorized by the U.S. Postal Service, is the simplest way to tell real election mail from junk.

"We're already getting reports about misleading mail going out to voters, so I want Oregonians to have the tools to be able to tell fact from fiction," Read said in the press release.

The logo features an interpretation of the stars and stripes of the American flag, with the words "Official Election Mail" and "Authorized by the U.S. Postal Service." It can only be printed in black or specific shades of blue or red. Official materials that carry the logo include ballots, voter registration cards and voter reply mail.

If a mailer does not display that logo, it did not come from a state or local election office, according to the secretary of state's office.

Read's office also cautioned that third-party groups sending election-related mailers often use outdated or incorrect voter data. The most accurate registration information is held by local county election offices, the press release stated.

Washington County Elections Manager David Hamilton's office is scheduled to begin mailing ballots on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to a county elections notice. Voters should receive them by Oct. 22. The online voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 11:59 p.m.

Washington County voters can also sign up for free ballot tracking at ballottrax.net/voter to receive text, phone or email notifications when their ballot has been mailed, received and accepted for counting.

Voters can verify their registration at oregonvotes.gov/myvote or by calling 1-866-673-VOTE. Washington County residents can reach the elections office at 503-846-5800 or [email protected].

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 or returned to an official ballot drop site before 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.