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On this day, May 22, 1843, The 1st wagon train with over 1000 people departed Independence, Missouri for Oregon. Known as the "Great Emigration," the expedition came two years after the first modest party of settlers made the long, overland journey to Oregon.

Also on this day, May 22, 1902, Crater Lake National Park was established. Featuring the deepest lake in America at 1,943 feet, the lake was formed when Mt. Mazama, a volcano taller than today's Mt. Hood, erupted and collapsed over 7,000 years ago.




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OCL War Room
Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 8:30 am
Meet at Ike Box for training and updates on legislation. Send testimony, watch hearings, and visit capitol to testify. Legislators and special guests. Every Thursday 8:30am to 3:00pm to June 26
Ike Box, 299 Cottage St NE, Salem (upstairs)



Oregon Citizens Lobby War Room
Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 8:30 am
Meet at Ike Box for training and updates on legislation. Send testimony, watch hearings, and visit capitol to testify. Legislators and special guests. Every Thursday 8:30am to 3:00pm to June 26.
Ike Box, 299 Cottage St NE, Salem (upstairs)


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Vote By Mail: A Review
We started doing it in 1981

The Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office has done an issue review on Oregon’s Vote by Mail. The pandemic has many voters and election poll workers concerned about the health risks posed by in-person voting. Submitting a ballot through the mail or a ballot drop site has become an appealing alternative. In Oregon, it appears to have marginally increased voter turnout.

The paper reviews the history of how we got to the motor-voter system, how it works and how to use it. What may not be so apparent is lying on the registration form is a felony, punishable by five years in prison, a $125,000 fine, and deportation for undocumented immigrants.

A comparison of polling place election in 1992-1998 with vote-by-mail elections held 2000-2018 indicates an improvement in voting. The Primary Election is typically not quit half of those eligible voting in the General Election. Primaries in polling places (1992-1998) were 39.6% that increased in 2000-2018 to 43.9%. General Elections in polling places were 70.4% that increased to 76.1%. Other elections show similar increases. Based on the data, Oregon’s vote by mail system appears to have marginally increased voter turnout 2-5%, depending on the type of election.

The final topic, Potential Areas for Review, may be the intent of the report. Are these suggestions intended for legislative proposals? What was lacking from the report was how identification is verified and improvements to that process, or investigating false ID. Whether or not these suggestions will prove to be less fraud and a more reliable system remains to be seen.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-10-13 17:27:21Last Update: 2020-10-13 17:45:10



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