What you will find in the 2022 STAND Election Guide – Web version!
- Introduction: Democracy Takes All of Us
- Infographic: How Many People Cannot Afford to Pay Rent in Oregon?
- Voting in Oregon: Who Can Vote?
- How to Vote by Mail
- Ballot Basics:
- DE•MOC•RA•CY (noun): The Four Principles of Democracy
- Oregon Ballot Measures: Do These Measures Advance Democracy?
- Our Votes, Our Values: Questions for Candidates
- What is ROP?
DEMOCRACY TAKES ALL OF US
Everyone is talking about how divided our communities are in rural and small-town Oregon, but if you get down to brass tacks we agree on more than we disagree. We want our children and grandchildren to be safe, we will work tirelessly together with our neighbors to weather storms and wildfires, we want our voices heard and we want our votes to count. Despite the political rhetoric that tries to polarize us, we join together to take care of each other when it is most needed.
It is during divisive times like these when democracy is most under threat. It is also during times like these when we most need to come together to rebuild and strengthen our democracy. This election gives us an opportunity to tackle some of the most critical needs in our communities and some of the pressing issues threatening a democratic government of, by and for the people.
This November we are voting for all of our State and US Representatives, the Oregon Governor and many of our State Senators. Just as important, our ballots will include candidates for local offices, such as Mayor, City Councilor, County Sheriff, County Commissioner and Circuit Court Judge. These are the people who will make decisions ranging from what is taught in public schools to which social services get funded and which get cut.
We will also vote on four ballot measures that tackle important issues like health care, community safety and accountability for elected officials.
This guide is created by rural Oregonians for rural Oregonians. We hope it can be a tool to not only help you fill out your ballot but also to start conversations with candidates running for office and with your neighbors. Because democracy takes all of us.
Are you eager to do more than just vote this election?
Here are some ways you can bring your neighbors together and build community while rebuilding democracy at home:
Share information on the ballot measures and candidates with your neighbors, family, friends and coworkers in person by going door-to-door, over email or social media.
Work with your library or community groups to hold a local candidate forum so every candidate can share their core values and the community can ask them questions about how they will lead if elected.
Gather your friends and family around your kitchen table, in your living room or at the local library to have a ballot party! One of the beautiful things about voting by mail is that you can take your time to research the issues and candidates on your ballot. Bring snacks, warm beverages, the state and local election guides and this election guide. Go down the ballot together and discuss which candidates you can get behind and which issues earn your vote!
HOW MANY PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY RENT IN OREGON?
Households paying more than 30% of their monthly income on rent by county
- Baker: 46%
- Benton: 61%
- Clackamas: 51%
- Clatsop: 44%
- Columbia: 58%
- Coos: 49%
- Crook: 51%
- Curry: 48%
- Deschutes: 52%
- Douglas: 46%
- Gilliam: 37%
- Grant: 34%
- Harney: 40%
- Hood River: 38%
- Jackson: 54%
- Jefferson: 46%
- Josephine: 60%
- Klamath: 52%
- Lake: 38%
- Lane: 54%
- Lincoln: 52%
- Linn: 50%
- Malheur: 43%
- Marion: 50%
- Morrow: 34%
- Multnomah: 52%
- Polk: 49%
- Sherman: 32%
- Tillamook: 46%
- Umatilla: 42%
- Union: 42%
- Wallowa: 33%
- Wasco: 34%
- Washington: 46%
- Wheeler: 31%
- Yamhill: 51%
Source: Oregon Housing and Community Services, County Profiles 2022. http://public.tableau.com/app/profile/oregon.housing.and.community.services
VOTING IN OREGON
Who Can Vote?
In Oregon, anyone can register to vote who:
- Is a resident of Oregon
- Is a US citizen
- Will be 18 years old by election day (November 8, 2022)
Not sure if you are registered to vote? Check or update your registration by visiting www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote or calling 1-866-673-8683.
If you are living somewhere temporarily or do not have a permanent address, you can vote by mail! To register, you can use any location in the county as your physical address, such as a park, shelter or intersection. If you cannot receive mail at the location you are registered at, you will pick up your ballot at the county elections office.
In Oregon, people with a criminal history can vote except for people who are currently in prison for a felony. You can vote if you are returning from jail or prison, even if you are on probation or parole. However, you will need to re-register to vote.
You have a right to a large print ballot, a braille ballot and someone to support you in filling out your ballot regardless of disability. Call your local elections office to learn more.
Can’t Vote Yet?
If you are not a US citizen or are younger than 18 years old, you can participate in the election by talking to your neighbors, family and friends to encourage them to register and vote!
How to Vote
Vote By Mail!
Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on October 19th.
RETURN OPTION 1: Drop your signed ballot at an official ballot drop box. You can drop your ballot off in any official drop box until 8 pm on Election Day, November 8th. Look up your nearest drop box: sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/drop-box-locator.aspx
RETURN OPTION 2: Mail your signed ballot, no stamp required. To have your vote counted, your ballot needs to be signed and postmarked by Election Day, November 8th. Drop your ballot in an official US Postal Service mailbox on or before November 7th, or on November 8th you can take your signed ballot into a Post Office and ask a postal worker to postmark it for you.
BALLOT BASICS
WHO REPRESENTS YOU?
Oregon is growing and we gained a new seat in the US House of Representatives!
This means who represents you may have changed. Many districts have changed at the federal, state, and local levels. To find out who represents you, visit gov.oregonlive.com/legislators
THE POWER OF LOCAL OFFICE
City Councils decide how tax dollars are spent on services like libraries, parks, city public safety, street maintenance as well as community utilities such as water and sewer.
County Commissions decide how our tax dollars are spent on county services and infrastructure such as public health, county roads, parks, buildings and bridges.
District Attorneys, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace and other locally elected Judges oversee the courts, jails and their personnel.
School Boards make decisions about school facilities and what is taught in local public schools.
VOTE PRO DEMOCRACY NOVEMBER 8
DE•MOC•RA•CY(noun)
If democracy is to work, it must continue to uphold some basic principles. Here are four principles of democracy according to the World Book Encyclopedia:
Inclusion of all; equality for all
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [people] are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among which are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
— US Declaration of Independence
Majority rule and minority rights
“No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
— 14th Amendment, US Constitution
Democracy requires well-educated and well-informed people who participate in the democratic process
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
— 1st Amendment, US Constitution
A reasonable standard of living
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well- being of [themselves] and [their] family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age and other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond [their] control.”
— Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by UN General Assembly (US included) 1948.
OREGON BALLOT MEASURES
Do these measures advance democracy?
111
What does the measure do?
Measure 111 would make affordable and accessible health care a fundamental right under the Oregon constitution and require the state to provide Oregon residents “access to cost effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care.”
Does the measure advance democracy?
Yes. Many rural Oregonians struggle to see a doctor regularly, either because it is too expensive or because there are no doctors or nurses to see locally. This measure would make expanding access to health care a priority for the Oregon Legislature.
112
What does the measure do?
Measure 112 would remove language from the Oregon constitution that allows the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, and allows an Oregon court or a probation or parole agency to order alternatives to jail or prison.
Does the measure advance democracy?
Yes. We will not completely
eradicate slavery until we ban it in all circumstances, including as punishment for crimes. This is why Nebraska and Utah voters removed similar language from their state constitutions in 2020. It is time to create opportunities for second chances in our laws. All human beings deserve dignity.
113
What does the measure do?
Measure 113 would disqualify legislators from re-election at the end of their term if they are absent from 10 or more legislative floor sessions in a year without permission or excuse.
Does the measure advance democracy?
Yes. Ordinary Oregonians would be fired for refusing to show up for work, and this measure holds legislators to the same standard. Legislators are elected by the people to do the people’s business in the capitol, not to interrupt the democratic process with political stunts. This measure will not penalize legislators who have excused absences for illness, medical appointments or family commitments.
114
What does the measure do?
Measure 114 would require a permit to purchase a gun. Applicants would need to complete firearm safety training, submit a photo ID, be fingerprinted, pass a criminal background check and pay a permit fee. The measure
would prevent people from selling or buying ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds and would make violations a class A misdemeanor.
Does the measure advance democracy?
Passing Measure 114 will be a powerful signal that Oregonians want strong gun safety laws. We are concerned the measure gives too much discretion to individual local permitting agents, risking bias in the application of the rules. We call on the legislature to create a statewide permit decision process, or to significantly narrow and carefully define local authority.
OUR VOTES, OUR VALUES
Questions for Candidates
In Oregon, the people determine who is the best fit for the jobs of representing us on School Boards, City Councils, the Oregon legislature and in the White House. It is a big responsibility to decide who should make decisions on our behalf about schools, health care, crisis response, local budgets, housing and more!
Let’s use the election season to make sure candidates reflect our values and our priorities, but most importantly, are ready to defend and rebuild democracy. Call up candidates and ask them about their guiding values and positions on the issues you care about. Attend a candidate forum and ask them directly. Post questions on social media and encourage your friends to ask these same questions and share the candidates’ responses.
Here are some example questions to ask candidates:
- Are you committed to respecting freedom of speech?
- Will you defend our democracy by protecting the integrity of our elections and ensuring that our elections remain free and fair so that the majority rules?
- What will you do to make sure everyone living in your district has access to affordable and accessible health care and housing?
- How will you work to resolve the housing crisis that is pushing many families onto the streets and out of town?
- What will you do to prioritize building strong community infrastructure including schools, libraries and emergency evacuation systems?
- How will you make sure that people hit hardest by skyrocketing rent and growing living expenses have their basic needs met?
What is ROP?
The Rural Organizing Project is a nonprofit organization that works to advance democracy and human dignity in all 36 of Oregon’s counties. Learn more at www.rop.org.
ROP is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. We do not advocate for or against any candidate for office. We prepare this Election Guide to encourage participation by rural Oregonians regardless of party affiliation. We advocate for ballot measures that will strengthen our communities and remind voters to hold dear the pursuit of democracy and justice when we fill out our ballots or organize in our communities.