Opportunities for people to get involved, show up at a march or a public meeting or submit testimony
If mailed in ballots were postmarked by Election Day and arrived by Tuesday, May 23, they were counted. Multnomah County Elections results are posted here.
Thank you to those voters who used the election pages on this website to learn about the candidates and measures. We hope our information was helpful to you.
League members and the public are invited to share their thoughts with the Portland City Charter Review Commission. The commission has decided to focus their initial research on two topics. These may result in ballot measures in the November 2022 election, if they identify the need for change:
After the Portland League restudied our city government in 2017-19, we adopted our current 2020 LWVPDX position. This position features the two topics the commission selected (as well as several other topics). Here is an excerpt from our position:
“The highest priorities for change are to improve citizen representation by increasing the number of commissioners, to institute a city manager, and to establish the city council as a legislative or policy-setting body. We also support electing some or all city councilors by district.”
If you would like to see how we testified on the changes we want, you can read our testimony below. These statements use information we learned in our research, as well as our position statements. We used not only our City Government position and study, but also our positions on Election Methods.
Testimony to Charter Review Commission Form of Government Subcommittee – October 2021. In this testimony, we recommended making the City Council a legislative body, without the commissioners’ current administrative duties. We also recommended hiring a City Manager.
Testimony to Charter Review Commission Subcommittee on Elections – October 2021. In this testimony, we recommended increasing the size of the City Council and electing them in a way that would more equitably represent city residents.
The issue of transparency in city government is also of concern to the League; we offered testimony about it to the Commission in June, and will follow up this topic next year when the Commission returns to study the issue.
The Commission accepts written public comment from Portlanders at any time, not only at meetings. Now is the time to share your support for changes in these two important areas! We encourage you to submit a public comment about why these two topics are important to you. If you are a League member, please remember that when you do so, you are testifying as a private individual and not as a representative of LWVPDX. If you agree with the League’s positions, you may quote LWVPDX statements in your testimony as a private individual. Of course you also may offer your own ideas or ideas from other organizations. (Learn more about League testimony guidelines here.)
Three steps to speaking out at this important moment:
In July 2021, the League posted an explanation about the work of the Charter Review Commission. You can read that here.
THE FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN. THE SENATE NEEDS TO AGREE TO DEBATE THIS BILL WHEN IT IS INTRODUCED AGAIN. AS VOTERS AND CITIZENS, WE CAN KEEP PUSHING. OUR VOICES COUNT.
Thank Senator Merkley for sponsoring this important legislation. Ask him to keep pushing for it. Call 202-224-3753, or email from: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact
Urge Senator Wyden to speak out and vote for it! Call 202-224-5244, or email from: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/email-ron
on June 22, Senator Schumer asked for a vote on S1, the For the People Act. Even though Republican senators filibustered it, supporters can try again. We need to persuade the Republicans that debating and voting on this bill will benefit them too. All Americans will benefit from passage of the For the People Act. It gives all eligible voters the freedom to vote easily, securely and according to their values. It helps all political parties, and also voters who do not belong to any party. Making voting accessible to all eligible voters is not a partisan value; it is an American value.
We want a government that works for all of us—that gives us all a say and puts our needs ahead of special interests. The #ForThePeople Act is a sweeping reform package that addresses everything from voting rights, to campaign finance reform, to redistricting. The House of Representatives has passed this bill. Demand that the Senate also makes a bold show of support for our democracy and the #ForThePeopleAct. Call 202-224-3121.
If you have friends and family members in Oregon, please ask them to contact Senators Wyden and Merkley too.
If they live in other states, please ask them to call or email their senators. They can find their senators on this US Senate website: https://www.senate.gov/senators/
The fight against climate change has become more urgent as we face hotter temperatures worldwide. You can join the League in this fight.
1. Observer: a few hours a month. Sign in from your computer to listen to public meetings and hearings. This is an easy way to follow a legislative policy committee, a state agency and/or a commission. Take notes and report back to the LWV of Oregon.
2. Advocacy representative: a few hours for many weeks. As an advocacy representative, you can work with the LWVOR Natural Resources and Climate Emergency teams. You can review proposed climate-related plans. Then, help these advocacy teams influence rules and policies. The League especially needs volunteers to help us advocate for:
3. Legislative liaison: 10-30 hours – most months. Actively participate in the legislative process. You can recommend or write testimony on bills related to your policy topic. You also could lobby legislators, and/or work with other organizations fighting climate change. (This could mean spending some time at the Capitol with other volunteers. Choose how you want to work!)
After years of work to develop a comprehensive climate bill, the 2020 Oregon Legislative Session ended without passing the bill. On March 8, 2020, the Governor released her Climate Policy Executive Order. You can read a summary of the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP) and why it matters here. Or read Renew Oregon’s quick overview of the plan. Following the governor’s order, state agencies began making plans for reducing state greenhouse gas emissions.
The League works along with many other climate organizations, through Renew Oregon. We follow and have input into the rule-making process, as agencies carry out the governor’s order. We are focused on facilitating rapid reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
The governor’s Executive Order moves the work on climate change into the work of state agencies and their commissions. Across the board, there is much to do.
New volunteers will be supported. Experienced volunteers will provide information and help.
Contact lwvor@lwvor.org to learn more and to volunteer.
The “People Not Politicians” initiative would put an independent citizen commission in charge of redistricting in Oregon. That means that a balanced group of citizens – instead of partisan politicians – would design the maps of election districts. Passing this initiative would protect the rights of voters to elect representatives who truly speak for them. This is because it would prevent gerrymandering the districts. Gerrymandering separates groups of voters with similar values and interests, which decreases their voting power. This initiative also calls for the commission to hold ten public hearings to hear people’s comments about their plans.
Let’s end Gerrymandering.Below are quick, easy ways you can help make Oregon’s redistricting process fairer, more transparent and impartial. The League of Women Voters of Oregon is one of nine main supporters of a citizen initiative, “People Not Politicians.” We need more than 150,000 signatures to get this on the November 2020 ballot. And we need to submit them by July 2nd!
That’s a short timeframe, but here are easy ways you can help—even with social distancing.
Now is our chance to put a nonpartisan commission in charge of redistricting in Oregon. This would prevent gerrymandering. In other words, it will keep future legislators from creating district maps that favor them and their parties. Getting enough signatures to make Initiative 57 into a 2020 Ballot Measure—and then passing that measure—is important to ensuring a fair and impartial redistricting process and protecting voters’ rights. Thank you for your support and help.
