2024 General Election Recommendations

Recommendations If you just want recommendations, start here. If you want context, check the ‘Context’ section below. U.S. President and Congressional Representatives Oregon State Executives Oregon State Senators Oregon State Representatives Oregon Circuit Court Judges County Commissioners Portland City Councilors Portland Mayor Portland District 1 Portland District 2 Portland District 3 Portland District 4 Local… Continue reading 2024 General Election Recommendations

2022 general election results

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… Continue reading 2022 general election results

Oregon’s election laws are really more suggestions

As the 2022 general election cycle comes to an end, we’re seeing a variety of complaints, lawsuits, and judgments concerning violations of Oregon election laws. These cases are often included in campaign coverage as just a normal part of the business of elections. But these violations and their outcomes can have an outsized impact on… Continue reading Oregon’s election laws are really more suggestions

November 2022 General Election Voters Guide

Table of Contents Federal offices US Senator Ron Wyden  Wyden has been a U.S. Senator since 1996. While an entrenched official isn’t the best for their constituency, Wyden has actively worked to tax billionaires, legalize cannabis, end surveillance, and curb climate change on levels we just don’t see from other long-time politicians. He’s done it with comparatively… Continue reading November 2022 General Election Voters Guide

Are you registered to vote? Time to check

As of today, there’s just sixty days until the general election ending November 8. If you’re planning to vote, you’ll want to double check your voter registration, ideally before the end of September. The deadline to register to vote, change party affiliation, or to update your address is Tuesday, October 18. Technically, you’re able to update… Continue reading Are you registered to vote? Time to check

Portland’s failure to learn from the 2021 heat dome

Portland set a new record for the city’s longest heat wave last week: we experienced seven consecutive days with recorded temperatures at or above 95° Fahrenheit from Monday, July 25 to Sunday, July 31. The State of Oregon is currently reporting at least 15 related deaths, with at least seven deaths in Multnomah County alone. That number is… Continue reading Portland’s failure to learn from the 2021 heat dome

July State of the Ballot

This month has been busy, politically speaking. Lift Every Voice Oregon collected enough signatures to put gun control on the November ballot, the Oregon Secretary of State ordered an extensive audit of Clackamas County’s primary votes, and the U.S. Supreme Court handed down enough decisions to fill a book. It’s a good time to check in on what… Continue reading July State of the Ballot

Impending deadline for ballot petitions

Voters in Oregon can send initiatives to the ballot without going through the state legislature, a county commission or a city council. Instead, someone wanting to propose a change to existing laws can collect signatures to send a measure directly to voters. The deadlines to collect those signatures for the upcoming general election are fast approaching: July… Continue reading Impending deadline for ballot petitions

Primary Ballot Review: How Metro fits into Portland politics

If you live in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, you have something on your ballot that no one else in the U.S. has — a directly elected regional government in the form of Metro. Metro is also the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the U.S. While knowing our local government is unique can make… Continue reading Primary Ballot Review: How Metro fits into Portland politics

Primary Ballot Review: Why do auditors matter?

There are a ton of candidates for various auditor positions on the primary ballot: Metro Brian Evans — Brian Evans has served as Metro Auditor since his election in 2014. He joined the Metro Auditor’s office as an employee in 2008. Evans is running unopposed and does not appear to have a campaign website. Multnomah County Jennifer McGuirk — Jennifer… Continue reading Primary Ballot Review: Why do auditors matter?