
On this day, April 4, 2020, New York state got 1,000 ventilators after the Chinese government facilitated a donation from billionaires Jack Ma and Joseph Tsai, the co-founders of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state of Oregon had volunteered to send 140 more breathing machines. New York had 113,700 confirmed cases as of this morning. At least 3,565 had died in New York and more than 115,000 had tested positive.
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District 21 is the core of Salem
Editor's note: Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project equips voters with information on how candidates stand on issues through a questionnaire process featured in comparison guides.
Candidate for House District 21
Jack Esp is challenging incumbent
Brian Clem on his 8th run to represent a portion of Marion County.
Three major issues to Oregon voters are the economy, safety and education. Clem voted to increase taxes and fees including cap and trade, corporate gross receipts tax, and reduce the kicker. Esp indicates he would vote no on these issues and supports more in-depth study of problems “before throwing more money into the mix.â€

Clem signed a letter to US Attorney General William Barr demanding “immediate withdrawal of federal operatives from the City of Portland.†He helped sponsor the bill that nullified Measure 88 passed by voters allowing undocumented driver’s license and he helped sponsor a bill that requires no proof of citizenship to obtain a driver’s license. Voted to require employers to notify employees of ICE investigations, and prevent courts from asking immigration status and notifying ICE. In 2020 he sponsored HB 4005 requiring firearms to be trigger-cable locked or in a locked container when not carried. Esp asks “what good is a locked self-defense firearm in an emergency?†He would vote no and support voters. He also thinks the courts and ICE are part of our legal system.
In the area of education, Clem voted to include in all curriculum’s contributions from every minority group such as immigrants, LGBTQ, disabled and women. He voted to require mandated vaccination with no exceptions and ban those from schools that don’t comply. Esp said forced vaccinations are “infringes on parental rights and religious freedom,†and would vote no on curriculum mandates to include minority group contribution on what he views as the left’s attempt to move education further left.
--Donna BleilerPost Date: 2020-09-30 11:45:18 | Last Update: 2020-09-30 11:49:07 |
Enables states to perform forest management and watershed restoration services on federal lands
Representatives Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) and David Brock Smith (R-Coos Bay) released a statement on the
Good Neighbor Authority and the
recent investment made by the
Legislative Emergency Board:
“We have let our natural and working lands become overburdened by fuel loads,†said Bonham. “Federal policy of containment and lack of investments into programs like the Good Neighbor Authority have put us in a position to suffer catastrophic effects from these mega-fires. Investments in this program are a step in the right direction to mitigate risks in the future. Conservation of Oregon’s forests, the communities around them, and the families that rely upon them must be our number one priority.â€
Brock Smith added, “I’m grateful for the long overdue investment in this legislation that works cooperatively with our federal partners for resource management, focusing on the urban/wildland interface. Expanding these efforts will protect the health, life and safety of Oregonians and their communities.â€
The Good Neighbor Authority allows the United States Forest Service to enter into agreements with states to enable states to perform forest management and watershed restoration services on federal lands. Together, Bonham and Brock Smith were chief sponsors of
HB 4118 passed in 2018, which expanded Oregon’s Good Neighbor Authority.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-30 10:50:37 | Last Update: 2020-09-30 11:31:35 |
October is National Distracted Driving Awareness month
In Oregon over the past five years, 137 people lost their lives in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than 20,992 were injured. Perhaps the saddest part of these statistics, besides there being real people behind them, is that these are preventable crashes.
“When you are behind the wheel, you have one job – to focus on driving safely,†said Kelly Kapri, Oregon’s Distracted Driving Program manager. “If you allow things to distract you, you could lose your life, the life of someone you love or cause another death or serious injury. It’s just not worth it.â€
These kinds of tragedies are occurring all over the state so ODOT partners with law enforcement year round for focused enforcement for the law, but especially this October, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. During October, a national and statewide public education and enforcement campaign will run to remind everyone who uses the transportation system to focus on safety and not allow anything to distract you.
Safety advocates hope that drivers will realize that distractions, such as using a phone, can hurt in more ways than one. From 2014 – 2018, there were 18 people killed and 1,752 suffered serious injuries from crashes where a driver was distracted by using a cell phone. Is that text or call really worth it?
In Oregon, distracted driving costs include not only the potential loss of life or injury, but can hurt the pocketbook as well:
First offense, not contributing to a crash: Class B violation; Fine up to $1,000.
Second offense – or first offense if it contributed to a crash: Class A violation; Fine up to $2,000.
Third offense in ten years: Class B misdemeanor; Fine up to $2,500; Could be up to six months in jail.
See the Oregon Department of Transportation
2020 Fact Sheet for more about distracted driving.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-30 10:49:28 | Last Update: 2020-10-01 15:01:50 |
Longtime equity champion replaces retiree
Rachael Banks, who has served as the Multnomah County Health Department’s public health director since 2017, has been named director of the Oregon Health Authority’s
Public Health Division.
Banks begins in her new role Oct. 27. She replaces Lillian Shirley, who is retiring this week after serving in the position since 2013.
OHA Director Patrick Allen called Banks “a leader with professional acumen combined with lived and worked experience around promoting equity.†These qualities are necessary as OHA makes “meaningful progress on health equity while guiding the state’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic — and continuing to advance programs that promote the majority of health that happens outside the doctor’s office, such as reducing chronic diseases, ensuring clean air and water, and urging immunizations.â€
Advocating for health equity has been a major part of Banks’ career at Multnomah County since she began there in 2002. She has worked to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis C and drug overdoses, and provided injury prevention education to families in populations unfairly impacted by health inequities. She also helped enforce Oregon’s Indoor Clean Air Act that created smoke-free workplaces to protect employees and the public, and she’s promoted health and equity by helping community organizations develop policies to reduced chronic diseases.
Banks has partnered with coordinated care organizations, health systems and insurers to improve how pregnant African-American women transition from clinical to community-based care. And she helped develop Early Learning Multnomah, an early learning hub that ensures kindergarten readiness for children of color ages 6 and younger.
As deputy director of the county’s Public Health Division, she helped develop its first disparity-focused Community Health Improvement Plan and led a unit that enacted culturally specific strategies in the African American/Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American/American Indian, Pacific Islander and immigrant/refugee communities. She’s also well known for her work as principal investigator for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH), a chronic disease prevention program reaching 75% of the Black population.
Banks has led Multnomah County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as public health director, including developing policies, securing resources and mobilizing the division’s workforce, and leading the creation of metrics that ensure the needs of Black, indigenous and people of color are met as the county begins the reopening process. She also has advocated for modernizing the state’s public health system by realigning it to focus on equity, epidemiology, community partnerships, policy and operations, and through strengthened relationships with neighboring counties to create a regional infrastructure to improve communicable disease control.
Banks will be crucial in helping OHA achieve its goal of eliminating health inequities by 2030, while continuing work to expand other important initiatives, such as public health modernization, the State Health Improvement Plan, climate and health, immunizations, opioid prevention, and ensuring clean air and water.
“Rachael’s perspective and skills on these and other critical agency efforts, such as our strategic plan and the roll out of our performance management system, will be an essential component of my leadership team, particularly as the state continues the reopening process and prepares for eventual recovery from the COVID pandemic,†Allen said.
Banks earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Gonzaga University in 2001 and a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University in 2012.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-29 16:00:58 | Last Update: 2020-09-29 16:50:37 |
Landlords may not evict for remainder of 2020
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread devastation caused by wildfires, Governor Kate Brown today
established a new moratorium preventing residential evictions for non-payment and other no-cause evictions between September 30 and December 31, 2020.
Governor Brown took immediate action in March and April through executive orders to keep Oregonians housed during the pandemic. In the first special session of this year, the Legislature passed House Bill 4213, establishing a residential and commercial eviction moratorium through September 30, 2020, with a six-month repayment period. The Governor’s new executive order will help keep Oregonians in their homes until the Legislature can convene later this year to address housing issues.
“Every Oregonian deserves a warm, safe, dry place to call home,†said Governor Brown. “Since the Legislature passed House Bill 4213, thousands of people have been displaced by massive and devastating wildfires, and the global pandemic continues to make it difficult for many Oregonians, including Oregon's veterans and many families with children, to pay rent, through no fault of their own.
“Keeping economically vulnerable Oregonians in their homes has been critical to the State’s COVID-19 response throughout this pandemic. Having a safe and stable home allows individuals to practice effective physical distancing, helps facilitate quarantine and isolation, and helps to prevent families and individuals from being displaced from their homes into more crowded multifamily or congregate living conditions, where the virus can spread more easily.
“Housing is a critical human need, and, as we enter cold and flu season during a pandemic––and as many students learn remotely from home––it is absolutely critical that people not be turned out of their homes. While my action today will address the immediate issue of preventing residential evictions through the end of the year, it is my hope that, when the Legislature next meets, they will take up the larger issues we need to address regarding housing relief.â€
EO 20-56 establishes a new, temporary residential eviction moratorium through the end of the year, due to the urgent need to prevent a wave of evictions during simultaneous wildfire and pandemic emergency response and recovery efforts. Both crises have had an acute and disproportionate impact on Oregon's communities of color, including Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, and Latinx, Pacific Islander, and Tribal communities, as well as families living in rural Oregon.
Added Governor Brown: "Many of the Oregonians most impacted by the pandemic and wildfire crises are those who can afford it least, and who have already faced housing discrimination and vast disparities in the availability of affordable housing. My action today will provide immediate relief, but we still have much work to do to address the systemic racism that lies at the heart of the affordable housing crisis in our country."
Many housing providers, especially small ones, have become uncomfortable with their lack of legal standing in their contractual relations with tenants, and these kind of executive orders call into question the ability of the state to impede contracts.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-28 15:47:47 | Last Update: 2020-09-29 10:27:12 |
Get involved in Scappoose Oregon
The City of Scappoose Economic Development Committee (EDC) is looking to fill one member and two alternate positions. The responsibilities of the EDC, as stated in the Committee bylaws, are as follows:
1) Design, develop, and promote an economic development strategic plan
2) Provide oversight and review of economic development marketing strategies and products
3) Enhance communication and understanding of economic development strategies, and build relationships between the local public sector, community, and business community
4) Act as a forum for sharing information on best economic development practices, current issues, and resources available for communities and businesses
5) Encourage connections and coordination with other local, regional, and state organizations working for the benefit of economic growth and enhancement of the local economy
6) Respond to additional matters relating to economic development as requested by the City Council
If you are interested in joining the EDC, please complete the Citizen Interest Application, which is located on the City’s
website. The City will accept applications until the positions have been filled. Should you have any questions regarding the application, and/or would like to receive a copy of the Committee Bylaws, please contact Program Analyst Huell White at 503-543-7146, or by email at
hwhite@cityofscappoose.org.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-28 12:11:43 | Last Update: 2020-09-26 12:53:11 |
Joe Whitcomb stands out against his rivals
Many people are fed up with
Ted Wheeler’s handling of Portland riots. It doesn’t leave Portland voters much choice for mayor when opponent
Sarah Iannarone is an open supporter of Antifa and refuses to condemn the violent antifa rioters. Portland uses a nonpartisan system for voting for mayor making it an open primary with the top two candidates advancing to the General Election if no one receives a majority of votes.
Sarah Iannarone claims that she is “ready to enact community-led plans to clean up the mess we’re in.†Accusing Mayor Wheeler of no leadership on civil unrest or public safety, she also is voicing the same anti-federal and anti-police platform.
Enter
Joseph Whitcomb asking Portland if they want an alternative, he is stepping up to run a write in campaign for Mayor of Portland. “Tired of the violence and destruction,†he says he is seeking "justice for all" and "equality for all!"
Joseph Whitcomb was born and raised in Portland, married with four daughters and five grandchildren, a degree in Criminal Justice, CCP, OCDL, and rides his mountain bike to work. He’s a rural Oregonian at heart camping, hiking, bicycling, and loves the outdoors. He has worked 23 years in the Materials Department Audit group.
Whitcome says, “I consider myself a conservative, I support our constitution, our law enforcement, and our military. God, Family/Friends and Country. My values have come from these 3 areas of my life. I want to see them strengthened and not diminished. I am running for Mayor because I see these 3 areas being attacked and that saddens me!†He is asking Portlanders who want an alternative to write-in "Joseph Whitcomb" under Mayor of Portland.
One of the drawbacks to the "top two" finishers election system is that you may not get much of a choice between the two, especially in a city with lopsided registration. Voters then have to resort to write-ins to vote for someone different.
--Donna BleilerPost Date: 2020-09-28 09:11:03 | Last Update: 2020-09-28 09:28:22 |
Why is Portland seeing so many homeless encampments?
While it might appear to community members that the City of Portland has stopped its cleanup work, the truth is that
Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program Performance Measures has never stopped responding to reports during this pandemic. In fact, they have actually been dispatching cleanup vendors more often to assist with trash, debris and biohazard removal. They also spend a great deal of time coordinating with outreach and service providers at various locations in town to assist with various issues.
Whenever individuals in the community submit a reports to HUCIRP regarding a campsite of concern, that report automatically creates a work assignment for a crew with lived experience to go to the reported area, engage with people that are present, pick up camper-identified garbage and conduct an assessment of the area. In July alone, they removed 550,000 pounds of garbage from the community.
HUCIRP encourage community members to continue reporting (once a week regarding any given site) as that will help to ensure that crews are regularly visiting the location to remove trash and biohazardous materials. It will also help to ensure that the City has a current assessment of the conditions in the area.
The best place to report campsites to us is via just one of the following methods:
1)Campsite Report Form
2)PDX Reporter
3)Calling Information & Referral: 503-823-4000.
If you are interested in learning more about what the response to reports looks like, please check out this
video
If you have questions regarding a campsite, please send an email to
reportpdx@portlandoregon.gov.
If you are interested in learning more about the process for campsite removals, please see this
blog
Please note, any and all issues of criminal activity must be reported to the
Portland Police.
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-27 12:07:06 | Last Update: 2020-09-27 12:45:42 |
Get Moving PAC has been getting moving
Measure 26-218 is a local Metro ballot measure which authorizes Metro to impose a payroll tax not to exceed 0.75% on employers with 26 or more employees beginning in 2022.
According to Metro, projects would include a light rail line in the Southwest Corridor between downtown Portland and Washington County, a rapid regional bus network, bridge replacement and repair, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, off-street biking and walking facilities, and traffic signal and intersection upgrades. It would also fund several additional transportation programs across the region, such as youth bus and MAX passes, walking and biking projects near schools, bus reliability, transition of buses from diesel to electric and low-carbon fuels, retention of affordable housing and addressing potential displacement along transportation corridors.
Some of the persons, unions and companies that could possibly benefit from contracts funded by Measure 26-218 are:
- HDR is an international company that specializes in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. They have donated $15,000.
- Local 48 Electricians PAC donated $100,000.
- David Evans and Associates is a Portland-based engineering company that led the engineering effort on the failed Columbia River Crossing project. They donated a total of $30,000.
- Stacy and Witbeck is a heavy civil construction company, specializing in transit infrastructure. They donated $160,000.
- AECOM is an infrastructure consulting firm. They donated $15,000.
This is a full list of major donors to Get Moving PAC.
Date | Donor | Amount |
09/21/2020 | Headlight Technologies | $5,000 |
09/21/2020 | OTAK, Inc | $7,500 |
09/20/2020 | James Fuiten | $5,000 |
09/20/2020 | Leah Riley | $1,000 |
09/20/2020 | James McGrath | $1,000 |
09/14/2020 | Titan | $5,000 |
09/13/2020 | Steve Naito | $2,500 |
09/13/2020 | Brad Hart | $10,000 |
09/11/2020 | Harper Houf Peterson Righellis | $1,000 |
09/11/2020 | Friends of Bob Stacey (13836) | $9,500 |
09/11/2020 | Affordable Housing for Oregon (19368) | $4,299 |
09/11/2020 | David Evans & Associates, Inc. | $30,000 |
09/08/2020 | HDR | $15,000 |
09/08/2020 | UFCW Local 555 | $10,000 |
09/08/2020 | LTK | $5,000 |
09/06/2020 | Elizabeth Faulkner | $1,000 |
08/30/2020 | Matt Miller | $5,000 |
08/28/2020 | Communications Strategies | $1,000 |
08/28/2020 | Professional & Technical Employees Local 17 | $1,000 |
08/28/2020 | Insulators International PAC | $2,000 |
08/24/2020 | Local 48 Electricians PAC (4572) | $100,000 |
08/21/2020 | William Shields | $2,000 |
08/14/2020 | Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. | $150,000 |
08/14/2020 | David Evans & Associates, Inc. | $10,000 |
08/03/2020 | Herb Fricke | $1,000 |
07/31/2020 | Cement Masons Local 555 | $5,000 |
07/27/2020 | Warren Rosenfeld | $5,000 |
07/09/2020 | OTAK, Inc | $1,500 |
07/06/2020 | Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters | $10,000 |
06/29/2020 | WSP | $10,000 |
06/17/2020 | American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon | $25,000 |
06/03/2020 | Recology | $5,000 |
05/02/2020 | American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon | $1,000 |
04/30/2020 | Burns McDonnell | $5,000 |
04/30/2020 | Ian McHone | $5,000 |
04/12/2020 | UFCW Local 555 | $10,000 |
04/12/2020 | 200 Market Associates LP | $10,000 |
03/30/2020 | HNTB Corporation | $10,000 |
03/20/2020 | Jesse Jackson | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Rachel L Bruce | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Affordable Electric | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Jeff Moreland | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Chicks of All Trade | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Just Bucket Excavating | $5,000 |
03/20/2020 | Raimore Construction | $10,000 |
03/16/2020 | Parametrix | $10,000 |
03/12/2020 | Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. | $10,000 |
03/09/2020 | Walsh Construction Company | $5,000 |
03/09/2020 | AECOM Technology Group | $15,000 |
01/28/2020 | Transportation Yes (14743) | $5,000 |
--Staff ReportsPost Date: 2020-09-27 11:57:37 | Last Update: 2020-09-27 13:21:46 |
Applies to tribal communities and communities of color
OHA announced it had selected nonprofit organizations and tribal governments from throughout the state for health equity grants to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Oregon’s tribal communities and communities of color. The grants total $45 million, and a full list of the awardees can be found
here.
OHA announced the availability of grant funding and opened for applications to not-for-profit organizations statewide and Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes and the Urban Indian Health Program on Aug. 18. OHA received hundreds of applications and has funded 205 organizations and tribes. Requests totaled close to $170 million, and not all applicants could be funded.
“We look forward to partnering with these remarkable organizations and communities, who do such vital work to serve their communities,†said Patrick Allen, OHA director. “We are deeply aware how these organizations’ linkages and knowledge of their communities and the challenges they face are so important to bringing resources to help. We look forward to the collective work to continue to meaningfully address the systemic racism and structural inequities that have caused so much health disparity, especially relating to COVID-19.â€
The grants focus resources on communities most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and programs that will address health and economic disruptions, food insecurity and housing, and safety and violence prevention, among other aspects of need.
“While OHA relationships with many of these groups have existed in the past, this grant program represents a deepening and a broadening of the partnership,†said Leann Johnson, director of OHA’s equity and inclusion division. “In some cases, the partnership is new. But whether new or existing, the relationships with these groups, the funding of their work, and their knowledge of the needs of their specific communities are the keys to breaking the hold of structural and systemic racism and oppression. We’re grateful for the work these organizations have engaged in already and will look to learn further from their wisdom.â€
To learn more about this program, please visit
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/covid19/Pages/equity-grants-covid-19.aspx
--Ben FisherPost Date: 2020-09-26 18:15:37 | Last Update: 2020-09-26 18:41:26 |
Give the kids their opinions, then ask them for it.
By now, the image of child climate activist, Greta Thunberg is familiar to everyone, though it seems her star power is slipping. Children are time-honored mascots for any political agenda for which they can be marshalled, and Oregon Governor Kate Brown is no stranger to this tactic. In her response to
California Governor Gavin Newsome's proclamation on zero-emission vehicles, Brown invoked the children.
"We have heard loud and clear from Oregon’s youth that climate action is their top priority—and it is the next generation that will pay the greatest price if we fail to answer their call. When zero-emission vehicles are widely used, we can support economic development, public health, and the environment all at the same time. I will be following the California requirement and looking into policies here in Oregon to accelerate transportation electrification."
It's one thing to ask kids for their opinions -- though one wonders how much value that has when actually making policy decisions. It's another to give kids their opinions and then ask them for it.
How does this happen? The
largest public employee union in the state, the Oregon Education Association, also happens to be a
leading voice for climate activism. They have your children captive for most of the day, and while they might fall short on educating your child on actual knowledge, rest assured, your child will go home trained as a climate activist. Ask Governor Brown.
The even more radical American Federation of Teachers, who boasts
on their webpage of passing a "resolution supporting a Green New Deal, which combines strategies to tackle climate change, economic inequality, and environmental racism."
This resembles a pattern and a plan: Union activists take over the curriculum in public schools and feed it to the children, and then these same union activists point to the sage wisdom of these same children as the justification for public policy, to be enacted by the politicians they fund.
Governor Brown is not unconnected to these public employee unions. When she last ran for Governor, received
donations of $100,000 on
two occasions just during the current political cycle from the Oregon Education Association. The American Federation of Teachers - Oregon gave her
$20,000 an increase over the
another $10,000 in campaign cash given her during the previous election cycle.
--Staff ReportsPost Date: 2020-09-26 12:53:11 | Last Update: 2020-09-26 14:11:53 |
A lot has changed in our world in 2020
Editor's note: The following was released by Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno
Wildfires in Oregon
The families and communities affected by the devastating wildfires across Oregon are in my thoughts and prayers. Know that our team at Secretary of State stands ready to help in the long-term recovery efforts to come.
For any Oregonians displaced from their home and concerned about voting in the General Election this November, rest assured we are working closely with local election officials to ensure you receive your ballot. More information specific to the wildfires and voting is
available here.
Elections in Oregon
A lot has changed in our world in 2020. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of how we live our lives has been turned upside down. In Oregon, however, one significant thing hasn’t changed: how we vote. Oregon has been conducting elections entirely by mail for over 20 years. Pandemic or not, it remains as effective, safe, and popular as ever.
I am thankful for the increased civic engagement this presidential election year. At the same time, misinformation can spread rapidly and we dedicate this newsletter to sharing trusted information about our elections process in Oregon to ensure you register to vote, get your ballot, vote your ballot, return your ballot, and make your voice heard.
Voter Registration
The essential building block of elections is the voter roll of registered voters. To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oregon, and at least 16 years old. If you are not yet 18 years of age, you will not receive a ballot until an election occurs on or after your 18th birthday.
The easiest way to register to vote or update your registration is to go to your trusted source
oregonvotes.gov. All eligible voters may also register by paper form available in many government offices or through their
county elections office. The deadline to register for this year’s General Election is October 13.
Voters’ Pamphlet
An Oregon election tradition is the voters’ pamphlet. The voters’ pamphlet is mailed to every residential address in Oregon and is designed to assist voters in participating in the November 3, 2020, General Election. It will arrive in your mailbox between October 7-9. It contains educational materials to help you navigate the election, and also has candidate statements and measure arguments to help you learn more about what will be on your ballot. Inside the back cover is a paper registration form so that those that are not registered can see that the election is coming up and they can return the form to register before the registration deadline.
Paper Ballots
All registered voters in Oregon are automatically mailed an official ballot and a ballot return envelope with prepaid postage. Voting by mail leaves a paper trail — a critical feature for exposing fraud.
Ballots can be returned by mail and no longer require a stamp. When returning your ballot by mail it should be mailed not later than October 27th to make sure it will get to the election office in time to be counted. We are fortunate to have a continued strong partnership with our local United States Postal Service to ensure support for our elections. Voters can also take advantage of hundreds of official dropsites throughout the state to return their ballot in person by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Another reassuring feature to our system is that you can track your ballot in
My Vote.
County Election Officials
We are very fortunate to have 36 County election officials and their teams as our essential partners in administering the election at the local level. Their efforts strengthening our election system are year-round, but they step up on Election Day to process and tabulate all of the ballots. They are the true heroes of the election.
They have adjusted to the pandemic to ensure extra safety precautions and are experts in handling the significant volume of paper ballots to be verified, extracted, sorted, and tabulated. Oregon supports transparency and you can contact your
county elections office to observe the election process.
While unofficial results begin to be posted soon after the 8 p.m. deadline on Election Day, counties have 20 days to certify official results to the state. This period allows election teams to complete the tallying of ballots, resolve any ballots that have been challenged, and conduct post election audits.
Vote By Mail
Oregon is very fortunate to have over four decades of experience administering our elections with Vote By Mail. It has allowed us to expand access to the ballot and ensure election integrity. We continue to have a strong relationship with our local USPS officials to ensure that our Vote By Mail system is effective and efficient.
We and our County election official partners remain a trusted source of election information and all voters are encouraged to use oregonvotes.gov or your county election website to help answer or follow up on any questions they may have.
I will end with a challenge to all of you to vote in this General Election by November 3rd so that Oregon can lead the nation in voter turnout and your voice will be heard. Oregon has and continues to blaze new trails in expanding access to voting. Other states are beginning to follow our Vote By Mail example, but let’s prove to the nation that our citizens are engaged and committed to democracy!
--Staff ReportsPost Date: 2020-09-25 17:50:08 | |
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