Every state in the US already has at least some experience with Vote By Mail. During the Coronavirus pandemic, we all should be able to vote from the convenience and safety of our home–for our own health and the health of our democracy. Sightline’s Kristin Eberhard shows how we can virus-proof American democracy in time for Election Day, November 2020.
Washington state law requires local jurisdictions to hold elections during odd years. But fewer voters turn in ballots in odd years, meaning local elected officials represent a smaller portion of voters. The Evergreen State could see a bill during the 2019 session to switch to even-year elections from current lower-turnout, odd-year elections and give more … Read more
In November, the United States hit a 50-year high for voter turnout in a midterm—49 percent. Oregon blew that record out of the water, where 63 percent of eligible Oregonians turned in a ballot. That’s the highest midterm turnout Oregon has seen in at least a quarter-century. Swing states usually see the most voter turnout … Read more
Election Day brought ups and downs for voters of all stripes. But one consistent theme across the United States was that voters want democracy to work better and they are ready to vote for change. Florida passed a measure to restore voting rights to more than a million voters, other states approved automatic voter registration, … Read more
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a stunning but predictable decision in Husted v. Randolph, the case about the state of Ohio purging thousands of voters from the voter rolls. Stunning because it gives state legislatures unprecedented powers to prevent eligible voters from voting. Predictable because, contrary to popular assumption, the … Read more
Exciting democracy changes are afoot in Cascadia. This year the Washington state legislature passed a suite of bills affirming its citizens’ right to vote. Benton County, Oregon, is about to become the first Cascadian jurisdiction in nearly a decade to use ranked-choice voting. And British Columbians will decide this year whether to make their elections … Read more
More than one million eligible Washingtonians are not registered to vote. There’s no chance they will turn in a ballot because they won’t get one through the state’s vote-by-mail system. The first step to ensuring more voices are heard in a democracy is registering eligible citizens to vote. Oregon, Alaska, and eight other jurisdictions have … Read more
Primary election voters are choosing most of Portland’s elected officials, while general election voters are shut out of decisions about city leadership. Since 2008, Portlanders have voted in three mayoral elections and ten elections for city councilors. In nine of those races, one candidate won a majority of votes in the primary and got elected, … Read more
Oregon’s New Motor Voter law is registering more young people to vote. Since registered voters skew older, Oregon’s automatic voter registration law is correcting the age bias and giving people of all ages access to the ballot. In 2015, Oregon became the first state in the nation to automatically register citizens to vote when they … Read more
UPDATE, June 2, 2017: Illinois became the first state to pass Automatic Voter Registration using agencies other than the Department of Motor Vehicles. Designated agencies in Ilinois include the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Employment Security. The bill, passed with strong bipartisan support, could serve as a model for Washington … Read more
