Exclusion of Trump statement in Oregon pamphlet not sign of interference | Fact check
The claim: Exclusion of Trump in Oregon voters' pamphlet is proof of election interference
An Oct. 10 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows several pictures of an online and printed voters' pamphlet.
"Oregon voter pamphlets do not include Donald Trump," reads text within the post, which was originally shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the conservative account Libs of TikTok. "He also is not listed on the Oregon State Government website under presidential candidates."
The Facebook post's caption says, "What say you? Election interference?"
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Our rating: False
Oregon's GOP and Secretary of State's Office said former President Donald Trump's statement was excluded because he chose not to submit one. His name is listed in the pamphlet with a disclaimer saying that, and he will still appear on the state's ballots.
Trump campaign didn't submit pamphlet statement
Oregon started mailing ballots to voters on Oct. 16 in preparation for the presidential election on Nov. 5. The state provides voters with a pamphlet along with the ballot to guide them through the process, including election deadlines and candidate statements.
As the post points out, Trump's campaign statement is absent from the pamphlet. But this isn't evidence of election interference.
The pamphlet lists Trump's name at the beginning among an extensive list of candidates but notes with an asterisk the "candidate chose not to submit a voters' pamphlet statement."
Laura Kerns, a spokesperson for Oregon's Secretary of State's Office, told USA TODAY that Trump's statement was excluded from the pamphlet because his campaign didn't submit one.
"We reached out repeatedly to the campaign to ensure they were aware of the deadline to submit a statement to the pamphlet and never received a response," Kerns said. "Donald Trump will absolutely be on the ballot."
The office debunked the claim on X in a response to Libs of TikTok's post.
"The Trump campaign chose not to participate," the post reads. "It was not an omission by officials. Trump/Vance will still be on your ballot."
The Secretary of State's Office included a link in its post to a statement by the Oregon Republican Party, in which the party similarly said Trump's campaign chose not to submit a pamphlet statement. The party reiterated this information on X.
Presidential candidates must also pay a $3,500 fee for their statement to appear in the voters' pamphlet, according to a state filing guide.
The pamphlet itself includes a disclaimer that says, "Candidates are not required to file voters’ pamphlet statements. Statements and measure arguments are printed as submitted."
Fact check: No, Minnesota ballot envelopes don't list voter's political party
The Secretary of State's Office published a list on Sept. 3 of presidential and vice presidential candidates who would appear in the pamphlet. The list shows several candidates, including Trump, chose not to file a statement, including Progressive candidate Cornel West and Constitution candidate Randall Terry.
The page includes a statement from Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, in which she said, "Not every candidate chooses to submit a statement, and that’s fine. It has no impact on the choices voters have in November.”
Trump similarly chose not to submit a pamphlet statement for the May 21 primary, according to Oregon outlet KTVZ.
Oregon is not considered a swing state in what is expected to be a close presidential election. Trump lost to President Joe Biden by 16 percentage points in Oregon in 2020, and state voters have picked the Democratic candidate in the last nine presidential elections.
USA TODAY reached out to Trump's representatives but did not immediately receive a response.The Facebook user who shared the post directed USA TODAY to a correction issued in the comments of the post, but the original post was not updated to remove the falsehood.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Laura Kerns, Oct. 16, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Oregon Secretary of State's Office, Oct. 10, X post
Oregon Secretary of State's Office, accessed Oct. 16, Online Voters' Guide | 2024 General Election
Oregon Secretary of State's Office, Sept. 27, Voters' Pamphlet for Coos, Curry, Douglas County
Oregon Secretary of State's Office, Sept. 3, The Oregon General Election Voters’ Pamphlet is Now Available
Oregon GOP, April 26, Statement on the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet
Oregon GOP, Oct. 10, X post
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump chose not to submit Oregon election statement | Fact check