VOTERS' GUIDE
Oregon Primary Election, May 18, 2010
We’re pleased to offer you this FREE nonpartisan election report
The League of Women Voters of Oregon
Education Fund publishes the Voters’ Guide. We
work hard to make this guide as informative,
impartial, and nonpartisan as possible. We do
not support or oppose any political party or
candidate. No candidates or interest groups pay us
to publish information about them or their views.
This information is available to you for free, thanks to the volunteer efforts of League members and the support of generous individuals, foundations, and businesses. We are grateful to all who contributed to this effort to help Oregonians become informed and active voters.
Important Dates
Remember to... Vote by Mail
About this Election
The Candidate Questionnaires
CANDIDATES
How We Research the Ballot Measures
BALLOT MEASURES
Are You Registered?
Now That You're a Voter
Alternate Versions of this Guide
Acknowledgments
Important Dates
April 21-23 Voters’ Pamphlet mailed
April 27 Voter Registration
deadline
(check your voter status by calling 503-988-3720)
April 30-May 4 Ballots mailed
to voters
May 18 Election Day
June 17 Certification of election
results
Remember to... Vote by Mail
Most ballots will be mailed to registered voters
April 30th to May 4th. Fill out your ballot and sign the
return envelope. Stamp and mail your ballot in
time for it to arrive at your county election office
by May 18th (Election Day) or drop it
off at the election office or a designated site
by 8 p.m. on May 18th. Postmarks do
not count.
About this Election
In the May 2010 Primary Election all
registered voters are eligible to vote for or against
two state ballot measures. This guide provides
information about the statewide measures.
Measure 68 is a constitutional amendment referred by the July 2009 Legislature and 69 is also a constitutional amendment but proposed by the 2010 Legislature. The offices up for election that are addressed in this guide are: US Senator, US Representative, Governor, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Schools, Judge of the Supreme Court and Judge of Court of Appeals.
The Candidate Questionnaires
Each candidate received a questionnaire from the League of Women Voters of Oregon Education Fund asking the questions printed in this guide. The questions were prepared by members of the League. In keeping with our tradition, we have published the candidates’ exact answers word for word, with no correction for grammar and spelling. We allowed 75 words for each answer. As in the past, a few candidates
wrote more than the number of words allowed, and we have cut their answers after the 75th word, so that every candidate has exactly the same opportunity to express his/her views. In order to distribute this Voters’ Guide to voters in a timely way, we gave candidates a deadline to return their questionnaires. Every effort was made to personally contact candidates from whom no replies were received before the deadline. Link to CANDIDATES.
How We Research the Ballot Measures
League of Women Voters members researched and wrote this guide on the ballot measures.
We obtained information from supporters and opponents; experts at state agencies that
administer current laws that would be changed; pro, con, and government agency websites;
literacy groups; and other reports. Supporters, opponents, and neutral experts were
invited to review this guide.
League researchers and editors tried to verify all the factual information in our explanations and in the pro and con argument sections. We did not include arguments from the two sides that are not supported by objective data, unless they clearly are statements of opinion about values or about consequences. We worked diligently to ensure that this guide is balanced, accurate, and fair. Link to BALLOT MEASURES.
To vote in the May 18 Primary Election you must register by April 27. There are many ways to do it:- Register in person at a county election office, DMV, or voter registration event.
- Mail in an Oregon Voter Registration Card which you can pick up at a library or post office, or print the card from www.Oregonvotes.org or www.lwvor.org.
The law requires that you provide acceptable ID to register to vote in Oregon. If registering in person, you can use either your Oregon driver’s license or ID number, or the last four numbers of your Social Security number. If you are registering by mail, you may use a copy of one of the following: valid photo ID, paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, government document, or proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.
Who may register? You may register if you are an Oregon resident, U.S. citizen, and at least 17 years old. You must fill out a new registration card if you move, change your name, or want to change your party.
Voting in the Primary Election: Major political parties (Democratic and Republican) choose who they want to run for office by having a Primary Election. The Primary Election is held every even-numbered year on the third Tuesday in May. If you are registered as a member of a major political party, you can vote in that party’s Primary Election. Sometimes a major political party will open its Primary Election to voters who are not registered as a member of any political party (non-affiliated voters). Non-affiliated voters will be notified by mail if a party opens its Primary Election If neither major political party opens its Primary Election, all nonaffiliated voters will automatically receive a ballot with all measures and nonpartisan contests (for example: judges, district attorneys, etc.).
Back to topCongratulations! By registering to vote, you have taken the first step toward participating in your government. Now What?
- You will receive ballots and the Voters’ Pamphlet in the mail for each election
- You will be able to vote in Federal, State, and Local elections.
- You will be eligible to serve on a jury.
- You will be able to run for public office.
- You will be able to get involved by volunteering for government committees and commissions.
- You will be able to sign and/or circulate petitions.
Alternate Versions of this Guide
To make election information available to voters
who cannot use the printed version of our regular
nonpartisan voters’ guide, HAVA , the Help America Vote
Act, helped pay for the development and expanded
distribution of voting guides in large-print, Spanish,
Braille, Easy Voter Guide, audio, and Internet versions.
Available in digital audio and accessible text versions
on the web at www.VoteSource.org.
To get an audio, large-print or Braille copy of this Standard Voters’ Guide, call Talking Book and Braille Services at 1-800-452-0292. You also can get copies of the Voters’ Guide online at www.VoteSource.org, by calling 1-866-ORE -VOTE , at many libraries and elections offices, or by contacting the League of Women Voters at 503-581-5722 or lwvor@lwvor.org. Go online at www.oregonvotes.org to view two educational videos about Alternate Format Ballot/ Accessible Voting Station and Assisting Voters with Disabilites.
Acknowledgments
PUBLISHED BY THELEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS® OF OREGON EDUCATION FUND
1330 12th St. SE, Suite 200, Salem, OR 97302
Phone: 503-581-5722 Fax: 503-581-9403 Email: lwvor@lwvor.org
Web: www.lwvor.org; www.VoteSource.org
Chair: Jane Gigler
Voter Service Co-Chairs: Deanie Anderson and Diana Bodtker
Executive Administrator: Rebecca Smith
Data and Membership Manager: Kathy Greysmith
General Editor: Deanie Anderson
Ballot Measure Researchers: Diana Bodtker and Marianne Germond
Ballot Measure Editors: Deanie Anderson, Jane Berry-Eddings, Bea Epperson, Sally Hollemon
Forums and Debates: Jane Gigler, Marge Easley
Candidate Packets: Rebecca Smith, Deanie Anderson, Margaret Noel
Candidate Questions: Board of Trustees, League of Women Voters of Oregon Education Fund
Partners for Easy Voters' Guide: Disability Rights Oregon (Julie Anderson, Ben Cezero), Oregon Elections Division (Gene Newton)
Speakers’ Kit Editor: Elsa Struble
Orders/Distribution: Barbara Stalions
Distribution: Community Newspapers, Barbara Stalions, Rebecca Smith, Disability Rights Oregon, Lorie James, Kathy Patterson
Proofreading: Diana Bodtker, Rita Fawcett, David Phelps
Voters' Guide Design and Layout: Cheryl Douglass, Community Newspapers
Printing: Community Newspapers
Development: Robin Wisdom
Web Page Design: Emily Medley
Web Page Editing: Rebecca Smith
Thank you to our partners
Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division and Oregon State Library - Talking Book and Braille Services
for producing the audio, Braille, large-print and accessible Internet versions of the Voters’ Guide, paid for with funds from the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). These alternate format voting guides help to provide equal access to important educational information for voters with disabilities.