We will hear from Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong about how he and other election officials in Oregon are dealing with the impediments and challenges to people voting in the upcoming November General Election. He will talk to us about what it takes to run an election during these turbulent times and the safeguards and procedures that underpin our right to vote.
All across the country, courts and local election officials are dealing with an unprecedented amount of misinformation and assaults on the right for people to vote without harassment or interference. Recently a U.S. Supreme Court decision barred the federal government from requiring that all states give a list of voters to the US Postal Service to determine who gets a ballot and who doesn’t. This is only one example of potential interference in fair and open elections.
Since 1981, when the Oregon Legislature approved vote-by-mail for local elections, voters in Oregon have been ahead of the curve in making voting more accessible. In 1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 60 was passed with more than a 69% affirmative vote. This citizen initiative required all Primary and General Elections to be held using vote-by-mail, Currently all elections in Oregon are held by using vote-by-mail.
Oregon voters receive ballots in the mail and are able to vote in the privacy of their own homes or in discussion with family and friends, and return their ballot by mail or by putting it in an official ballot drop box.
The process of developing, printing and mailing ballots is complex and exacting. Lane County Election procedures for processing returned ballots and counting votes is transparent and easy for any member of the public to follow. Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong will be our guide through this important and intricate process. In Oregon every vote counts and every vote is counted.
