It’s Time to Get Ready to Vote

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 One of these candidates, Derrick Peterson, has since withdrawn from this race.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.

April 4 Panel Discussion on Mental Health, Housing, and Homelessness

View the Video of Our Zoom Webinar by clicking below.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.

The panel of community leaders discussed chronic homelessness as a public health issue. They explained how they are trying to provide health care and shelter to people with mental illness and/or addiction, and the need for more shelters, and supportive affordable low-income housing.  

The panel included: 

Jill Kahnert, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, retired from Central City Concern.

 

Jason Renaud, LWVPDX League member, and Voluntary Managing Director of the Mental Health Association of Portland

 

Scott Kerman, Executive Director, Blanchet House

 

Rachael Duke, Executive Director of Community Partners for Affordable Housing

 

This program may be viewed on public access television channels at the   times listed below.

Electric Vehicles: Can They Deliver on Their Promise?

The video is now available for the March 1st webinar of Dr. Dan Sperling’s talk about the impact of Electric Vehicles (EVs) on carbon reduction. Find out what it will take for EVs to make a measurable difference in greenhouse gas reduction. We are cosponsoring this program with the League of Women Voters of Piedmont, California. To learn more about Dr. Sperling, visit the LWV Piedmont page.

We also co-sponsored the LWV of Piedmont event on the health effects of heat. The recording of that webinar on heat is here.