You can see results for elections in Oregon at results.oregonvotes.gov. I’m not going to post individual results: the State of Oregon’s results page is the most reliable source of such information and I encourage you to check race outcomes there. I am going to check in a couple of specific races below, however.
The timeline for official results
While we have some results and many news organizations feel comfortable calling some races, these results aren’t official for two reasons. First, because ballots postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day are now accepted, election offices can’t complete their counts until November 15. That’s the last day election offices are required to accept any mailed ballots. We’ll have more accurate results much faster, though — maybe even today or tomorrow.
While I’m sure any reporter calling a race right now feels confident in their assessment, this election’s timeline is a little longer than years past. The option to mail in ballots through the end of Election Day probably won’t have a huge impact on turnout, but it’s something new, so ‘probably’ is the best we can do until the count is complete.
Updates to the count don’t follow a state-wide schedule, which can also complicate reporting. Each county shares new numbers on their own schedule. Most counties are planning multiple updates today, but [Sherry Hall announced yesterday that Clackamas County isn’t planning on updating counts again until this evening](https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/11/clackamas-county-will-delay-significant-election-results-until-6-pm-wednesday.html.
Second, even though all ballots will be counted by mid-month, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office won’t certify this election’s results until December 15. Between now and then, the Secretary of State’s office and each county election office will hand count, confirm, and audit ballots to confirm an accurate count. The timeline for finishing out this election is as follows:
- November 15 — The last day that ballots received with postmarks on or before November 8 will be accepted
- November 21 — The last day to file complaints related to potential violations of election law during the general election cycle
- November 29 — The last day to resolve ballot challenges
- December 15 — The date the Oregon Secretary of State is expected to certify the election’s results
- December 19 — The last day to contest an election (if no recount is necessary)
- December 20 — The last day to file a recount demand
- December 23 — The last day for elected candidates to file their acceptances
- December 31 — The last day the Secretary of State can issue their report on election outcomes
Newly elected representatives will take office at the beginning of January. Exactly which day depends on the office. Typically, ballot measures take effect 30 days after being approved by voters — December 8, in the case of yesterday’s election. However, several of the measure likely to pass will require work to enact. Measure 114, for instance, will likely require updates to Oregon State Police policies, which will likely take a few months to put together. There are also organizations already setting up for lawsuits that may delay passed measures from taking effect.
I’m not currently planning to post updates as these election results work through the certification process. I’m going to take some time off from writing about local elections. I’m tired and need to decompress. I also need to decide what I’m willing to put into this site in the future. I really want to work on anything unconnected to electoral politics.
What’s next in elections?
We’re done with elections for 2022 — which means that people are already talking about elections in both 2023 and 2024.
Here in Oregon, we handle school board elections in May in odd years. We can expect that the upcoming school board election cycle will be contentious. We may also see special elections coming up. If we do need a special election, the next possible date is March 14, 2023.
We may also see a vote on further changes to the Portland City Charter. The Charter Review Commission started on Phase II of the current review over the summer. Hearings on proposed changes are in two weeks, with sessions scheduled for November 17 and November 19. One of the potential changes on the commission’s list? An independent Portland Elections Commission!
Since a U.S. presidential election is scheduled for 2024, we’ll start seeing national-level candidates campaigning in Oregon in 2023. Some folks are already working on ballot initiatives for the 2024 election. And thanks to the passage of Ballot Measure 26-228, we’ll be electing 12 new city council members for Portland in 2024.
What will you do now?
Aside from some counting, the 2022 election cycle is complete. But that doesn’t actually mean anything when it comes to solving the problems facing Portland.
If you worked on a campaign through this election, take the rest you need. Everyone else? You need to decide what you’re going to work on, at least for the next few months. You’ve got plenty of options:
- The City of Portland is criminalizing homelessness. The City of Portland’s new ban on ‘unsanctioned’ camping is cruel, but also likely illegal, opening the city up to lawsuits. We need to hold Portland’s city commissioners accountable for the harm this plan will create. We also need to ramp up mutual aid efforts this winter, as governmental efforts are being cut back despite increasing need. Start small if you’re not already doing mutual aid, with a step like dropping food off at a free fridge. And make sure you’re reading Street Roots — their coverage is better than the bigger publications in town.
- Portland police officers shot another Portland resident this week. The Portland Police Bureau arrested protestors downtown last night. If we want to see real change, we need to embrace multiple strategies: protesting, filing lawsuits, and pushing for alternatives are all on the table here.
- There are members of our community still dealing with legal fall out from protest arrests in 2020 and 2021. Some folks’ cases haven’t even made it to court yet, while others are incarcerated with sentences stretching out for years. While a lot of folks need financial help, they also need to know they still have community support. If you’re not sure where to start, Portland ABC hosts events on a regular basis where you can write to folks who are incarcerated.
Let’s get back to work.
