Most voters’ ballots arrived in the mail by May 4. Election Day is May 16.

Your vote matters. We have election resources to help you get ready to vote.

This Special District Election is about local measures and candidates. The results will affect local government policies, services for our communities, and taxes to support those services.

Check out our May 2023 Special Election webpage which connects to written explanations of the three Multnomah County  ballot measures. In addition, you’ll find links to candidates’ answers to questions, videos of Voter Forums and candidate interviews for the major races, and podcasts of those forums and interviews.

The measures would: create a new tenant resources program funded by a capital gains tax; finance expanded public safety programs for Gresham with a new tax levy; and renew the Portland Children’s Levy. Also:

• • You can watch or listen to a forum on Multnomah County Measure 26-238. This would create a 0.75% capital gains tax to pay for legal services for tenants facing eviction. Pro and Con speakers present their arguments for and against this measure.
  • Voters throughout Multnomah County will be voting on the candidates running for all the positions on their local school and community college boards. We have recordings of interviews with some of these candidates. There is also a forum in which the candidates for the Portland Public Schools Board from Zone 3 answer questions. One of these candidates, Derrick Peterson, has since withdrawn from this race.
  • We also have a forum for voters in Southeast Portland , who will be electing a new Multnomah County Commissioner for District 3. This seat formerly was held by Jessica Vega-Pederson, who is now the County Chair.

All the candidates running in Multnomah County were offered free opportunities to answer questions for VOTE411.org and to participate in short recorded interviews. They have until Election Day to enter their answers on VOTE411.org. We have posted the recordings of the interviews.