Election workers John Jorgensen and Irene Morris inspect ballots on May 16, 2022 at the Marion County Clerk’s Office in Salem. In future elections, Oregon might opt for ranked choice voting. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
It’s that time of year again. Fall is in the air, pumpkins are on front porches and negative campaign ads flood the airwaves and the internet. For those of us who treasure democracy and the right to vote, we find ourselves asking: “Is this the best we can do?”
Instead of being made hopeful by political campaigns, Oregonians are frequently frustrated with the state of politics. We want our voices to be heard and for our votes to matter. But, far too often our voices are drowned by big money and special interests, and we’re left feeling like voting is a waste of time.
Oregon has long been a leader in election reform as Randy Stapilus’ recent Capitol Chronicle commentary, Democracy Day: Oregon has often led the way points out. From the initiative and referendum process to vote-by-mail, Oregon has pioneered democratic innovations. But there is still so much more we can do.
The Oregon Legislature recently took two significant steps intended to improve our democracy. In the 2023 Legislative session, lawmakers referred House Bill 2004 to the November ballot (Measure 117), asking voters whether they wanted ranked choice voting in federal and statewide elections. Then in 2024, lawmakers passed House Bill 4024 to address campaign finance reform.
Addressing campaign finance is long overdue and is one of the few election-related areas where Oregon has lagged behind the rest of the country. HB 4024, which will take effect in 2027, sets limits on campaign contributions from individuals and requires disclosures of independent expenditures, which are funds spent by interest groups to support a candidate without the candidate’s knowledge or approval. HB 4024 was the result of a productive compromise among many interested parties. We will be following its effect on Oregon’s political climate with great interest.
Measure 117 would establish ranked choice voting – the fastest growing election reform in the country with a proven track record in Oregon and elsewhere. Ranked choice voting would bring a simple improvement to our elections to give voters more power to vote for who we want and in what order. If Measure 117 passes, Oregonians could vote for their favorite candidate in a race and also rank back-up candidates in their order of preference. This means we can vote for candidates who truly share our values, no matter how likely they are to win, and we won’t have to worry about throwing away our precious votes.
Cities that use ranked choice voting have produced governments with greater diversity than cities which don’t use it. Using ranked choice voting, for example, New York City elected a City Council in 2021 with a majority of women and people of color.
Here in Oregon, Benton County voters approved a local initiative in 2016 to elect the county commissioners with ranked choice voting, and in 2022, the Corvallis City Council voted to use ranked choice voting to elect the council and the city’s mayor. Corvallis and Benton County are just two of the 50-plus places in the U.S. that use ranked choice voting – including Alaska and Maine, which use ranked choice voting statewide, along with many municipalities ranging from small cities in Utah to larger ones like Oakland and Minneapolis.
November’s election is a momentous time for ranked choice voting in Oregon. Not only will all Oregonians weigh in on Measure 117, but Portland voters will be using it for the first time to elect a newly expanded 12-member City Council. Portland’s version of ranked choice voting, which is similar to elections in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Albany, California, will elect three council members in each district. Measure 117, by contrast, would adopt a simpler form of ranked choice voting for both the primary and November elections to elect many statewide and federal officials.
We believe Oregonians far and wide are ready for a change. Whether rural or urban, high or low wage earners, politically conservative, progressive or somewhere in between, we want to see hopeful and fair elections. And we want to continue in Oregon’s role as a leader in election reform. Together, we can find ways to give people more voice and more choice in our elections.
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